


Emotional Complications

by TiBun



Series: Complicated [1]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Aftercare, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Bottom Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Canon-Typical Violence, Deaf Clint Barton, Depression, Double Penetration, Duplicate characters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Kisses Bingo 2020, Loss, M/M, Mating Bites, Multi, Multiverse, Mutual Pining, Omega Clint Barton, Omega Verse, Polyamory, Timeline Hopping, Top Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, WinterHawk Bingo, ameriwinterhawk - Freeform, universe swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:16:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26842744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun
Summary: Clint was hurting. He'd lost the love of his life, and suddenly life wasn't something he wanted to participate in as he kept himself locked away from the outside world. Steve hated seeing Clint like that and reached out, hoping to be enough to help the archer experience some of the good in life once more.Neither of them ever expected to see Bucky again.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers
Series: Complicated [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960564
Comments: 41
Kudos: 109
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Kisses Bingo, Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bingos:  
> Winterhawk Bingo (WHB), Bucky Barnes Bingo (BBB), Kisses Bingo (KB)  
> Chapter 1- BBB Major Injuries  
> Chapter 2- KB Adjusting a Clothing Item  
> Chapter 3- WHB Pre-War Bucky  
> Chapter 4- KB Laying Head on Shoulder  
> Chapter 5- KB Just Missed Skin to Skin Touch  
> Chapter 6- KB Absentminded Kisses/Cuddling  
> Chapter 7- WHB Crymax / KB Wiping Away Tears
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, I only explore the possibilities.
> 
> Special thanks to my friend bigwolfpup for helping me through my larger writers blocks on this!  
> Also, this is my first time writing a Poly ship (not to be confused with a threesome smutty scene), so I hope I've done well and you enjoy it!
> 
> Translations:  
> Ptenchik-Russian for "Baby Bird" (Thanks to my friend magenta_llama for helping me get the right word)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by https://not-the-blue.tumblr.com/

* * *

“You should pay attention to Stevie.” Bucky teased, nipping playfully at Clint’s ear to redirect his attention.

“It’s just doombots, what’s going to be interesting about that? We’ve taken them down countless times. Easy peasy. We’ll be home in time for lunch.” Clint shrugged, shifting himself closer until he was situated comfortably in Bucky’s lap instead of his own seat on the quinjet.

Bucky sighed, rubbing small circles into Clint’s back. “You’re clingy.” he observed.

“A little, yeah.”

“Are you in preheat?” Bucky pressed. His omega wore scent blockers most of the time. Bucky hated not being able to scent his mate, but the scent blockers did grant a layer of protection to the archer, so Bucky put up with it. He would much rather not be able to scent him than Clint being discovered and hurt because someone caught his omega scent while he was on some mission.

Clint hummed, a smirk curling the corner of his lips, “Possible. It has been three months or so since my last…”

Steve moved over closer to the couple with a frown of concern tugging at his features, “Clint, are you going to be okay with this? You can stay on the quinjet…”

“I’m _fine_ Cap. Hell, I’ve done more dangerous solo missions while in full blown heat before. If I can do that, then I can handle it if preheat starts kicking in while I’m sitting up high shooting doombots out of the sky.

“We all know you’re very capable, but you don’t have to take unnecessary risks.” Steve pressed, “This isn’t a solo mission; it’s also not a huge mission. It’s an easy one that we don’t need the full team for. You can stay here and start nesting or whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

“I don’t want special treatment just because I’m the only omega on the team.” Clint whined. Okay, maybe preheat _was_ starting to take a _little_ effect on him.

“Everyone on the team has times when they’re better off sitting out of a mission, Clint. If all of the alphas on the team can take time off for ruts, then you can for heats. And I’m not ordering you to sit out on this, it’ll always be your choice, I just want you to know you do have this choice.”

“You know none of us will treat you as lesser because of your secondary gender, Doll.” Bucky added, nipping at his ear again, “We’re not the assholes you worked with at the circus. You always have a choice to do what you want.”

“I want to take out doombots.” Clint said, “Preheat is nothing, just a warning that my heat will start tomorrow. Sure, it makes me want to cuddle more than usual, but it doesn’t mess with my ability to focus on important things.”

Steve nodded, “Alright.”

“Get ready back there,” Natasha called out from the pilot’s seat, “I’m about to take her in for a landing.

“Legolas, with me,” Tony said, gesturing Clint to his side, “I’ll fly you to whatever roof you choose.”

Clint pressed a kiss to Bucky’s cheek before hopping up and grabbing his bow. He stepped onto Tony’s boots and let the man hug him tight before they jumped out of the opening of the jet, still high in the air.

“Over there.” Clint said, pointing with his bow at a rooftop that seemed his best option before he grabbed an arrow and sent it into one of the doombots. One down, the rest to go.

Tony flew them over to the roof and Clint hopped down, positioning himself and starting to send exploding arrows at the doombots and keeping an eye on everything to report movements to the rest of the team as the quinjet landed and everyone else joined the battle.

“These things are always so easy to take down it’s laughable.” Tony said as he flew around, blasting bots from the sky.

“We’re lucky it’s Doom making evil bots to do his evil bidding. We’d really have a challenge if Tony was the evil robot villain.” Clint said. “That being said, Tony, never turn evil, please!”

“Aw,” Tony responded over the comms, “I’m touched you have such faith in my level of super villain potential.”

“Ah, yes, an evil Dum-e, very scary.” Bucky snarked.

“He is a master of chaos and you know it, Barnes!” Tony shot back.

“Dum-e is too pure; he’d sabotage your evil plans at the source.” Clint said.

“Woah, careful there Cupid, you’ll land a hit on me.” Tony flirted.

“Are you flirting with my omega?” Bucky growled.

“Hey, he doesn’t know what he’s missing. Betas have a lot to offer, you know.”

“I’ll let my metal fist get very acquainted with your face if you try, Stark.”

“I’m just joking around.” Tony said, “Clint’s adorable, but he’s far too wreckless for my sanity should we be dating. You can keep all those grey-hairs in the making!”

“I’m flattered to be a joking-pick-up for you, Tony, but there’s only one man for me, joke or not.” Clint said, taking out three more bots with one shot, “Hey Nat, you got a group of these things headed your way. Seven o’clock.”

“Guys,” Steve spoke up, “Some of these things are not the average doombots.”

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked.

“I mean I have two of them trying to play a deadly game of frisbee with me!”

“Aw, isn’t that nice, you found frisbee friends.” Tony joked.

“Sure, but they use saw blades! So be careful! Especially those of you without full armour or some kind of shield.”

“Metal arm count as a shield?” Bucky asked.

“I’m serious, Buck. I don’t want to see anyone going into medical for something more than a bruise.”

“Shit!” Tony gasped.

“Language.” Steve said automatically.

“Shut it, those saw blades are no joke!” Tony spoke up, sounding slightly panicked. 

Clint turned his gaze over towards where Tony was hovering. One repulsor was sparking uselessly. “You okay there, rich boy?”

“A saw blade sliced through my armor and fucked the wiring. I’m down one repulsor.” there was a pause, “I even have a shallow cut on my arm. I’m glad I decided to block it from hitting my faceplate!”

“Okay guys, this is no longer a milk run mission. Be careful and watch each other's backs properly.” Steve ordered.

“Roger, Rogers.” Clint said as he narrowed his focus to try and spot the difference between the average doombots and the ones that apparently shot out saw blades.

The saw-wielding doombots looked just as normal as any other doombot, but after a moment Clint spotted a tell. The doombot would jerk it’s head back before the small but deadly circular saw blades would go flying out its ‘mouth’.

“Their heads jerk back before a saw goes flying.” Clint quickly informed the team as he took aim to take out a doombot group with an explosive arrow.

“That’s not much of a warning with these things.” Steve said.

“It’s better than nothing.” Nat countered.

“Clint, you got company incoming behind you.” Tony said.

“Don’t these crashers know they aren’t invited to the Barton rooftop party?” Clint grinned, spinning around, sending out arrows and taking each bot down before they got too close. One did send a saw at him, but he had plenty of time to dodge it.

As he settled his balance, his eye caught on a bot far too close to Bucky’s turned back as Bucky took out a group of bots descending on him with guns ablazing. The bot’s head jerked back and—

_No_

_No, no, no, no, NO!_

The bot was too close to Bucky, but Clint nocked an arrow anyway, knowing full well that the arrow would not be fast enough to knock the saw off course. He was already _too late_ when the arrow left his fingers and hurtled down towards the bot as he screamed out “BUCK—!”

Clint watched the scene before him in slow motion. His arrow flying straight and true to take down the bot as the saw blade spun through the air, Bucky turning, hair flying out around him from the force of his spin, his metal arm coming up to try and deflect the attack from behind, and—

Clint blinked. His eyes covering themselves for a split second, not wanting to see the impact itself, despite him also not wanting to miss how Bucky would be fine.

He’d be fine.

He _had_ to be fine.

His eyes finished opening again and Bucky was down on the ground, his voice _gurgling_ over the comms.

“BUCKY!” Clint screamed, running to the edge and leaping off without hesitation.

“Clint!” Clint heard Tony’s voice only vaguely, “Don’t jum— _fuck_!” 

Ironman swooped in, catching Clint, complaining in mumbles to himself at how Clint never gave any of the flyers warning before leaping from insanely high locations, expecting to be caught. But Clint didn’t care. His mind was on only one thing: Bucky.

“Bucky! Take—take me to him!” Cint stressed as Tony held onto him, ignoring how the sparks from the broken repulsor stung at his skin if they landed on his exposed arms.

He luckily did have the presence of mind to fire a few arrows as Tony flew him towards Bucky’s prone body, but as soon as he deemed himself close enough, he began to wriggle himself loose to leap down.

There was a gash in his metal arm, and his neck, and—

God, there was so much blood...too much blood—and Bucky had stopped making sounds. Stopped _moving_ , and…

“Bucky? Bu- _Bucky? ALPHA_!” Clint screamed, pulling Bucky into his arms, his voice instantly raw.

* * *

“ _ALPHA_!” Clint screamed out, the vision of red and crushing pain fading from his vision to let a numb reality fade into the emptiness around him.

He was sitting up on the couch of their shared apartment in Avenger tower—it was still _their_ apartment. Looking around there were still traces of Bucky. His mug sitting on the coffee table with a dried ring of coffee residue settled inside, right as Bucky had left it that cursed morning. His weapons still hidden around, his jacket still hanging by the door on the rack, his shoes where Bucky had always kept them…

But it was all an illusion.

Their bed hadn’t been slept in in over a year. _Bucky_ hadn’t been there in over a year. It was only Clint slothing around the place, keeping things the same level of organized chaos that it had been when Bucky had been there to tame Clint’s tendencies to leave messes, but never really letting himself live. He suffered through his heats alone—something he thought he’d never have to do again—curling up in the new nesting items Tony had shoved at him when it was discovered that he wasn’t using the bedding and supplies that had been embedded with Bucky’s scent. Clint hadn’t been able to—the scent of his alpha brought back too many memories he wasn’t prepared to face. So the couch became his bed and nest, and he refused to leave the tower. On good days he would leave their apartment and wander around the community area, interact with the others a bit, but he never went to train, never left for a mission, never even would look outside or go up to the roof.

The others were worried about him, he knew that, but he wasn’t ready to even try. How could he go on living as if the man he loved more than anything hadn’t been ripped away from him?

And the dreams...the _nightmares_ wouldn’t let him forget every detail of that cursed morning, making him relive it in vivid detail over and over. Reminding him how he'd lost Bucky before he could even get to him.

It didn’t happen every night anymore, but still often enough to make him wary of sleep. He’d taken to pulling as many all-nighters as he could just to put off the chance of having to see Bucky like that again.

He hadn’t had the dream in two weeks, and it had come back with a vengeance, the images lingering in his mind, even after he found himself awake, tears streaking his face and his whole body shaking.

Clint wasn’t fully aware of the door opening and someone hurrying inside their apartment until a large body settled in front of him, sitting on the coffee table, lips tugged down in a worried expression.

A hand waved to grab his attention and another held out his purple hearing aids that had been sitting on the table. Numbly, Clint reached out and slipped them into his ears, flicking them on out of habit. The darkness around him stayed quiet until:

“Clint?”

Steve, it’s Steve. Clint raised his gaze to look at the blond alpha, taking in his mess of hair, flat on one side and the other sticking up all over.

He swallowed with difficulty, “Sorry I woke you…”

Steve shook his head, “May I touch you?”

“Please.” Clint found himself pleading in a weak voice. It had been so long...For the longest time he refused to let anyone but Natasha touch him or offer comfort, but she had been gone for over a month now on a SHIELD mission, and he—he needed something. It didn’t seem to matter anymore who it was from, and Steve had always been there, offering his support in whatever ways Clint allowed him. Everyone had in the beginning, but as the weeks turned into months, the others had moved on, but Steve had stayed, making coffee or dropping off food for Clint on his bad days so that he wouldn’t have to bother with making something. Steve and Nat made sure that he was taking care of himself, but also giving him distance when he needed it. So maybe it was less that he needed touch from _anyone_ and more than he needed touch from someone who has been there for him. Nat wasn’t around, but Steve was—and Steve was Bucky’s best friend. The man had been just as devastated when he found out Bucky was gone…

“Please…” he repeated.

Steve moved forward onto the couch next to Clint, pulling him into a hug. Clint let him; let himself relax into the offered comfort as Steve rubbed small calming circles into his back.

Clint didn’t know how long they sat like that, in a strangely comfortable silence, the dark room lit only by the warm light from the hallway outside his apartment door and the faint silvery light leaking in through the windows.

“That morning won’t leave me.” he finally admitted softly once he felt calmer, “Every second comes back in vivid detail…”

“Is that why you never seem to get much sleep?” Steve asked.

Clint flinched.

“Hey, no, I’m not scolding you. I’m just asking. I haven't heard you wake up like this in a while and I thought maybe the nightmares had started to lessen, but you always look so tired come breakfast…”

“I—I haven't slept in days...tried to tonight, but…fuck,” Clint cursed, rubbing his face with his hand, “I should be over this by now…”

“Clint.” Steve placed both hands on his shoulders to hold him in place, “This isn’t something people just get over. All we can hope for is that we can accept it.”

“That’s not what Tony says.”

Clint felt Steve stiffen slightly, “What did Tony say?”

Clint wiggled in unease as he looked down and pretended to pick something off his purple blanket that still wrapped around his legs. “He came up here with a bunch of schematics for some new trick arrows for me. I told him I wasn’t feeling up to it and he told me it’s past time to get over it and get on with my life…”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked in a deep breath to keep himself under a calm control.

“I don’t think Tony meant to come across so harshly. We all know he tends to talk without thinking of how he sounds.”

“Doesn’t matter how it sounded, he still wants me to just—just _forget_ Bucky and continue on like none of it ever happened!” Clint choked out angrily.

“No one here is asking you to forget Bucky. You don’t have to leave Bucky behind in order to move on, Clint, you take him with you, in here—” he tapped gently on Clint’s chest over his heart “—as you try and live again. Trust me...I’ve had to do that far too many times...and twice for Bucky…”

“Sorry...I know you’re hurting too, but—”

“Clint, your pain is understandable, everyone on this team understands and we just hope to see you move on for yourself. Little steps. Maybe go for a walk down to the coffee shop? I’m not going to force you to leap back into action or the way things were before before you’re ready.”

Clint nodded and bit his lip, “I’m so tired…”

“I know.” Steve hesitated, looking around. “I know Natasha stays with you sometimes, but she’s not around so...would you like me to stay?”

“You won’t fit...not tiny like Nat is...and I—I can’t with the bed…”

“Well,” Steve spoke slowly, making sure to present his words as an option and not a demand, “If you’d like, you can spend the night in my place. It won’t have the memories, and you’ll still have the comfort of a friend.”

Clint bit his lip as he considered Steve’s words. Steve was an alpha, and Clint didn’t know how he felt about sharing an alpha’s bed that wasn’t Bucky, but...Steve was one of the best alphas Clint had ever known. Always so gentlemanly and genuine. There were times he even seemed more beta than alpha, and Clint just—he was really tired and didn’t want to be alone again, so…

He gave a small nod, “Please.”

Steve nodded and stood up before helping Clint up. Clint gathered his blanket and pillow, clutching them to his chest before following Steve out and down the hall to his apartment.

Clint had never actually been inside Steve’s apartment before. Bucky had visited a few times, but Clint never had, so he was surprised to walk in and find that Steve didn’t have a private living room or lounge like everyone else who had invited Clint into their space. No, Steve had instead turned his apartment’s main room into an art studio. Drop cloths were spread over the floor, easels set up, finished paintings leaning against walls or hanging, an inclined table for drawing...there was even a pottery wheel and kiln. No TV, just a nice looking Victrola that also seemed to have a place to plug in a phone or MP3 player hooked up to some additional speakers for playing music, or maybe a book on tape—was that term outdated? Were they called something else now that _tapes_ were practically a non-existent technology? Either way, Clint could totally picture Steve standing at the easel working on that painting of what looked like large waves during a storm while listening to Moby Dick or something. The setup really stood out to Clint. It was a detail so perfectly _Steve_. Jarvis could play anything at any time with the best possible quality in any room of the tower. However, Steve was an old fashioned guy, even more so than Bucky who had taken to the modern world like a fish to water. It made sense that he’d get some technology he remembered having before. There was even a shelf full of old records in the corner.

Clint might be interested in listening to a few if Steve allowed it. He was a modern boy, but he did enjoy the soft white noise that layered the music on old vinyl records, even if it didn’t always get along with his aids.

But he wasn’t there to listen to old music. He was there to hopefully get some proper sleep for once.

Steve led him to his bedroom where he began to strip the sheets to change them.

“You don’t have to…”

“They need it anyway. This gives me a good excuse.” Steve shrugged, moving to the closet and pulling out fresh sheets to put on the bed. He then tossed the used sheets in his hamper and picked up his own blanket before looking at Clint. “Would you prefer the wall or the edge?”

“Wall.” Clint said immediately, crawling onto the bed and settling himself on the wall side of the bed. The edge provided an easier escape if he needed it, but the wall would allow him to feel more secure. Like the back of his couch or the wall of a nest. Besides, he trusted Steve. If he couldn’t trust Captain America himself, then there wasn’t a single alpha in existence that he could trust.

Steve nodded and situated his own pillows and blanket before climbing into bed next to Clint. Clint passed him his aids and he set them on the bedside table before turning off the light and settling down with his back to Clint. It took Clint a little longer to get comfortable, but finally he settled in, reaching out and curling his fingers into the back of Steve’s shirt, just to reassure himself that he wasn’t alone once he closed his eyes.

* * *

“Natasha!” Clint ran at the tired spy who had just gotten back from her long undercover mission, leaping up and attaching himself to her like a monkey to a tree.

Since the night Steve had offered him comfort, he had finally found his footing again, slowly living his life as normal as possible. He still had some bad days and there were still nights that haunted him, but Steve always made sure to have time for Clint; he only had to ask. They continued to share Steve’s bed when Clint had a bad night, and sometimes Clint found himself lounging around in Steve’s studio, listening to old music and watching him create. 

It all did wonders for his overall mood over the weeks, though he still refused to train or put himself back on active duty for either SHIELD or Avengers work.

Natasha grunted as she braced herself and caught her giant manchild of a best friend, though she begrudgingly allowed it. It had been far too long since she had last seen his smile, and Thor help her, she missed it.

“You seem to be doing better. Still heavy though, get down.”

Clint dropped his feet to the floor and stood up, though he kept his arms wrapped around her.

“I swear, Clint’s the only person in the world who could pull off something like that on Natasha and not get stabbed.” Tony said from the community couch.

“Don’t swear.” Steve joked with a shrug.

“Oh, she’s stabbed me before plenty.” Clint said, “Doesn’t deter me.”

“He’s a hard one to shake once he grows attached.” Nat shrugged before lifting her travel bag further up her shoulder as she took Clint’s hand, “Come on, we’ll catch up while I unpack.

“Be sure to get back in time for dinner. It’s Bruce’s night to cook, so you know it’s going to be fantastic!” Tony shot after them.

Clint followed his best friend to her apartment and grabbed her bag to drop onto the bed to help unpack as he’d done countless times, “Easy mission?” he asked as he unzipped the bag.

“About as well as one of your disaster missions.” she shot back before reaching over to cup his face in her hands and make him pause in his self-appointed task, “What changed, Ptenchik?”

He felt his cheeks heat, and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, “I, um, I had a bad night...woke Steve up and he...he offered to do what you do for me, and we talked a little and…” he gave a small shrug, “Guess his words got through.”

She raised a delicate red eyebrow at him and he shrugged. 

“He said that moving on and living my life wouldn’t mean forgetting Bucky or leaving him and what we had together behind.” he explained.

“I’ve told you that.” she said gently, her green gaze studying him carefully.

“Sure, but you’re more a ‘read between the lines’ type of talker when you’re anything other than pissed off, you know? And I’m not so big on reading. Steve was very blunt about it and I think...I think that’s something I needed to hear bluntly. There are still days when I get too deep in my own head, and nights where that morning still haunts me, but it’s better… I’m getting out more...I walk with Tony to the little coffee shop down the street once a week. Not exactly a set day or time, but...we make sure it’s once a week. Steve comes with us when he can, and he’s taking me to get pizza at that place I like in Bed Stuy soon. At least that’s what he said last night when I was going through his record collection and playing songs that caught my eye as he doodled.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with him?” she asked.

Again, he shrugged, “More than before, sure. Like I said, he’s been doing what you normally do for me.”

“Including sleeping next to you?”

Clint frowned at her, “It’s just for comfort, Nat. Don’t go picking up any ideas that aren’t there.”

“Clint.” She moved to sit on the bed before pulling him down to cuddle with her, “He’s an alpha.”

“So? He’s a friend, like you.”

“I’m a beta.” Well, she was practically a beta. The girls who grew up in the Red Room all had their presentations irriverally blocked through surgery so that they’d stay neutral and not have to worry about heats or ruts getting in the way of their missions.

“And he acts like a beta most of the time!”

“Not my point, Ptenchik. He may act like a beta a lot of the time, but he is still an alpha, while you are an omega with a broken mate bond.” She tapped his neck where the scar from Bucky’s bite showed silver against his skin.

“I’m not—”

“Listen to me for a second.” She sighed, wrapping a hand around his mouth to muffle him, lovingly of course, as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You had your bond break. Whether you’re aware of it or not, the part of you that is omega is floundering. It’s looking for it’s other half, it’s alpha, and failing to find it. As it fails, it affects the rest of you, preventing you from doing much of anything. Your instincts tell you to shut down and let an alpha take care of you. No, let me finish,” she shushed when he tried to escape her hand by licking her fingers, “The alpha taking care of you doesn’t have to be a romantic interest, just one you trust. By letting Steve in close enough to help, you are satisfying what your omega needs. It picks up on his calming alpha hormones and relaxes, allowing the rest of you to start moving on.”

She finally pulled her hand away from his mouth, whipping his spit off on his shirt.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before? Like, _months_ ago?” he asked.

Nat snorted, “And how would you have reacted to me telling you to find an alpha to take care of you after you lost Bucky?”

Clint considered that, licking his lips before ducking his head, “Not very well...probably would have yelled and cried and cut you out for a while.” he admitted.

“Exactly. Then you wouldn’t even have your closest friend around to help where I could. I just had to have faith that you’d open up to one of the alphas on the team before you wasted away.”

Clint wrinkled his nose, “Don’t exaggerate.”

“I’m not. There’s a reason there’s that old term of ‘dying of a broken heart’, you know.”

“Just because I’m an omega?” Clint was a bit upset by the news.

“No, of course not. It happens to alphas too. Same thing, only opposite.”

“How does that work?”

“When an alpha loses their bonded omega, their alpha instincts also start searching for it’s other half. Only they’re overcome with the need to take care of an omega, rather than be taken care of. They become so consumed with that need that they forget to take care of themselves, and they can start getting better if they find a trusted omega who will be there for them, letting the alpha take care of them, even platonically.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Training in the Red Room was very thorough in a wide range of things. Plus, America’s sex education is incredibly lacking, even if you did complete high school. I’m not surprised these things aren’t so well known over here.”

“Seems pretty fucking important to know…” Clint muttered, shifting down to rest his head in her lap and look up at her as she ran her fingers through his hair which had really gotten long in his months of never doing much of anything. Maybe he should get it cut again…

“You figured it out, even if you didn’t realize it.” she soothed with a small smile, “It’s good to see you with a little energy again.”

“I missed you, Nat.”

“I’m not going to be sent out on any more long missions anytime soon.” she promised, “We can go out and plot a prank to pull on Tony, or whatever you want.”

“Gosh I love you.” he smiled.

“I’ve missed your smile.” she smiled back, a real smile, not just one of her amused little quirk of the lips.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

“Clint.”

Clint pushed himself up off the counter to the kitchenette of Steve’s apartment, clutching the oversized purple mug of coffee to his chest as he moved to where he could better see Steve where the alpha was standing by one of his canvases that was turned away so that no one could see the work in progress. Steve normally didn’t mind if people watched him work, but whatever that canvas was, Steve always kept it hidden. Clint didn’t mind the secrecy. He just figured Steve was painting something saucy and not as wholesome as apple pie, and he wasn’t going to judge the alpha. Steve was a single man, after all. He was allowed to have his secrets.

“Ready for pizza already? I haven't finished my coffee.” 

Steve shook his head, “I have something for you.”

“Yeah, the giant coffee mug. I love it.” Clint said with a small smile as he held up his coffee.

Steve chuckled and shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, “You spotted that mug said I should use a purple glaze, before promptly stealing it.”

“It’s never left this apartment, it’s just my mug for here! I have one in Nat’s place, too.”

“Oh, I see.” Steve smirked and waved at Clint to move closer, “The mug isn’t what I had in mind, you know.” he then gestured at the mystery canvas.

“You’re going to share your secret naughty painting with me?”

Steve flustered, his face going red, “What?”

Clint shrugged with his shit-eating grin in place, “I just figured that if there’s a painting you didn’t want anyone to see, it was because it was of a naked hottie or something.

“I assure you that my private collection stays within a secret sketchbook that even you and Nat will never find.”

Clint gasped, “Captain America draws  _ porn _ ?” he teased.

“I didn’t say that.” Steve smirked, “And even if I did, you’ll never find proof.”

“I’ll take that as a challenge, you know.”

“Please don’t.” Steve smiled, “Just come here.”

Clint shrugged, setting his mug down on a table before moving over to Steve’s painting area of the studio. He could be clumsy sometimes, and didn’t want to spill coffee on a painting, plus while Steve brought drinks over while he was painting, Clint  _ had _ witnessed a paintbrush being swirled around his drink instead of the cup of water intended for cleaning brushes more than a few times. He didn’t want to risk that fate for his coffee.

“Okay, here I am.” he said, spreading his arms out wide to present himself.

Steve motioned to the canvas in permission to look, and Clint felt his breath catch and tears prick at his eyes.

There, so carefully painted, was a  _ masterpiece _ if ever Clint were one to judge. It was a portrait depicting Clint and Bucky in each other's arms. Bucky’s metal arm was the more visible of his two, wrapping down around Clint’s waist, while Clint’s far arm hooked over his shoulder. His other arm reaching out, holding a bow which curved artistically and framing them in so that their legs didn’t continue down, showing only a pleasant negative space, though Clint didn’t know the proper words for it. They were looking at each other, so obviously in love and happy, and…

And…

Clint let out a small sob and turned to bury his face into Steve’s chest, “Thank you…”

“Once it’s finished drying you can take it to hang anywhere.” Steve promised gently as he gave the omega a comforting hug.

“I miss him…”

“I know...I do too…” he tucked Clint under his chin and hugged a little tighter before pulling back, “How about you finish your coffee while I get cleaned up, and we’ll go get that pizza I promised you?”

Clint nodded, letting go of Steve’s shirt and stepping back, looking at the painting again.

Steve had really caught every detail of them both. It had to be based on a particular memory Steve had of them. Clint had bandages wrapping his arm and a Black Widow themed band-aid on his jaw. While Bucky...Bucky was perfect. Steve had captured that special twinkle Bucky sometimes had in his eyes when he was just enjoying life, and there was a smudge of dirt across his cheek. The moment was probably after some battle or fight the team had been called to. Clint wanted to reach out and run his fingers through Bucky’s tangled hair…

“Ready to go?” Steve asked, walking back out, the paint cleaned off his skin and in fresh clothes.

Clint hadn’t realized how long he’d been standing there looking at the painting. He pulled himself away and ran over to his cup. “One moment!” He downed the rest of his coffee, which was sadly bordering on unpleasantly cold by then, and then rushed to drop the mug off in Steve’s sink.

* * *

Going out to lunch with Steve was an interesting experience, that was for sure. Really, Clint shouldn’t be surprised. Steve  _ was _ Captain fucking America, after all, and no combination of sunglasses and baseball caps was going to hide that. He was always recognized by someone once out in public, and then the crowds would gather.

But Clint wasn’t used to it. He and Bucky both had flown under the radar, blending into the crowds and blissfully enjoying their time without any interruptions from fans. The media hadn’t even gotten the juicy scoop of the fact that two Avengers were dating when he and Bucky had started going out on dates outside the tower. No, that scoop was only published after they had bonded and stopped hiding it after missions, just wanting to hug and make sure the other was mostly unharmed, and even then, when out and about they were only recognized as Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier if they were in gear or Bucky had his metal arm on display, which he rarely ever did as they liked their privacy.

But with Steve, the parade started as soon as he’d hopped out of the car they had used to get to Brooklyn. People trailed behind them like baby ducks following their mother, trying to get Steve’s attention. Luckily, the crowd was forced to disperse once they entered the pizzeria and the manager made everyone who was not there as customers leave. That, however, didn’t stop other customers from surrounding tables from taking notice.

“Captain America, sir?” yet another voice cut in after their pizza had come out to them and they were busy digging into it. Clint suppressed a sigh and eyeroll, figuring it was another fan wanting a selfie or autograph. Steve had asked Clint if he wanted to be included when it first started happening, but Clint had only shook his head. He didn’t want to get into all of that. Steve respected his choice and kept the attention off him, which was easier to do in most cases. This case, however…

“I just noticed you’re dining with an omega, are you on a date?” the question came, and Clint’s eyes snapped wide as he froze mid-bite to look up at the woman who had asked such a personal question. He supposed it would seem that way. Clint had run out of his scent blockers as he hadn’t been going out on any missions, so he certainly would scent as an obvious omega, which would draw attention when said omega was sitting across the table from Captain America.

Steve took it in stride, however and only gave a polite smile as he leaned in closer to the woman, “If I was, then don’t you think it’d be incredibly rude for you to interrupt?”

The woman stuttered out an apology and retreated back to her table.

Clint laughed, “You know that’s going to start rumors, right?”

“Gives people something to talk about before something better than a silly rumor based solely on the fact I grabbed a bite to eat with a good friend comes along. Plus maybe then they’ll stop trying to get proof of that rumor that Hulk is afraid of clowns.”

Clint chuckled, biting into his pizza again, “How did that one even start?”

“No idea.” Steve smiled, “But Bruce is getting annoyed by it. Keeps getting photographs of clowns in Hulk’s fanmail.

“Bruce actually opens the fanmail?”

Steve shrugged, “Hulk’s not so great with opening letters without ripping everything. Bruce opens them when he opens the ones addressed directly to him, and leaves it out for Hulk to look at when he lets the big guy take control for a bit. Seems to make Hulk happy, though the clown photos seem to confuse him.”

“Hu.” Clint hadn’t opened his own fan mail since before  _ that  _ morning, he just didn’t feel ready to face what he might find. Tony of course had all incoming mail scanned for anything dangerous, but the scans didn’t sort out anything that might possibly trigger something emotionally. He wanted to make sure he was ready before he risked that—and maybe have Nat with him...or Steve...or both Nat and Steve. Either way, he wouldn’t want to be alone when he finally went to the mailroom to get his fan mail.

Clint finished off his slice of pizza and reached for another when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. At the same time Steve’s ringtone went off and he checked it before Clint had the chance to grab a napkin to clean his fingers before digging into his pocket to check his own phone. He knew what it was by the pattern of the vibrations, so he wasn’t surprised when Steve sighed, pocketing his phone, “Call to assemble. Sorry to cut this short, Clint.”

Clint waved him off, already standing up, “Same job, remember? I’ll go ask for a doggy bag and call for a cab or something.” He got the call to assemble, but he wasn’t required to go, still being off active duty. 

“You know you can come, right?” Steve asked, digging cash from his wallet—more than enough to pay the bill and tip—and tossing it onto the table.

“I—” Clint faltered.

“We miss having you out there with us, you know.”

“I know, and I do miss it too, but…”

“But?”

“...But I haven't trained at all in over a year, and you might have brought your gear, but I didn’t.” 

Steve quirked an eyebrow at him, “You realize that Tony makes sure there’s backup gear for every one of us in all the vehicles we have access to, right? I have to remember to bring my shield on my own, but there’s a bow and everything you need in the trunk.

“Really? I mean, sure, I knew we always had gear in case of emergency, but I figured mine wouldn’t be included while I’m off active duty.”

“You just said it yourself, it’s for emergencies. Just because you aren’t actively helping out on missions, doesn’t mean there won’t be an emergency where you’d wish you had your bow. It’s not one of your fancy bows, and I’ve no idea what kind of arrows you’ll have, but they are there. The  _ option  _ is there if you want to take it.”

Clint paused, looking down at their half-eaten pizza before looking back up at Steve. Steve who looked hopeful, but Clint knew he’d never push Clint into a fight. Nat might if she thinks he’s had enough time to mope around, but Steve wouldn’t.

Finally, he nodded, “I’ll try. This doesn’t mean I’m back on active, but...I’ll try.”

Steve smiled wider and nodded, the corners of his eyes crinkling. It made Clint’s stomach do a little flip, and...wow, okay, what was  _ that _ about?

He shoved the feeling and thoughts aside as he hurried after Steve. Steve popped open the trunk, pulling out his shield and the bag that was labeled as ‘Cap’ He also grabbed the bag labeled ‘Hawk’, tossing it over to Clint as Clint grabbed his bow and quiver from the weapons rack.

The trunk was shut and they hopped in the car.

Steve hit a button to connect Jarvis to the car, “Hey Jay, mind taking the wheel while Clint and I get ready?”

“Of course, sir.” The car carefully pulled into traffic before JARVIS plotted out the fastest route to where they needed to be, and the windows tinted for privacy.

“I’ll take the back.” Clint said, being bendier and knowing he’d have an easier time climbing into the back seat to get changed into his gear. Steve would have enough, though uncomfortable, space once the center console was flipped up and the driver’s seat shifted back.

The situation was luckily not too far away, and it wasn’t long before Clint and Steve ran out of the car to join the fight. The rest of the team was already there.

Clint flipped the comms on in his hearing aids, “Hey losers, what we miss?”

“Hawkeye?” Tony asked.

“Nope, Easter Bunny. Got some exploding colorful eggs to throw at the baddies.” Clint smiled.

“Good to have you back, Hawkeye.” Thor, who had returned from Asgard recently, boomed happily.

“Good to be back...I hope.”

“Not that we don’t appreciate the help, but mind actually getting to work, Clint?” Nat said, and he smiled at how much approval was hidden in her words.

“Yeah, yeah, Still, what’s the situation? Cap and I don’t see anything yet.” Clint said, looking around as he and Steve ran to join up to the team.

“Situation’s inside the warehouse.” Tony said, “The fight got going our way and the nutjob and his gang ran inside. They might have hostages, so we called Cap.”

“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” Steve asked.

“Because, Winghead, you were getting Legolas out of the tower and we wanted him to have a good time, not cut it short before you even get to Brooklyn.”

“I see.”

“Hey, I’m the secondary leader, I was trying to give you an unofficial day off. I was being nice! But then we just…need the man with a plan.”

“Here’s a plan. Clint, stop for a moment.” Steve said, slowing his running until he was also stopped and Clint could catch up.

“Why?”

Steve reached over to fix the collar of his shirt that was poking up awkwardly from under the leather vest Clint had pulled on over his normal shirt, having not bothered to fully strip down when changing. An extra top layer wasn’t going to bother him like an extra layer under his tight pants would. Clint found himself slowing down, enjoying the simple touch as he listened to Steve’s idea.

“These guys know the team is here, and they probably expect me to show up late. But you haven’t assembled in the better part of two years. The baddies don’t expect you anymore. So you can sneak around back and try to get eyes on the situation while the rest of us keep their attention.”

“Got it.” Cint turned to split off from Steve and looped around, making sure he wouldn’t be seen approaching.

Once he reached the backside of the warehouse, he paused to take stock of his options. There was some old scaffolding he could climb up, but just by looking at it, he knew that it’d make unavoidable noise and he didn’t want to worry about attracting attention. There was also a tree, tall and wide, not exactly great for climbing, but in his best shape or not, he was still the Amazing Hawkeye.

Putting his bow across his back, Clint ran to the tree and scaled up it like it was nothing until he was hidden up in the foliage and moving around in the branches to get closer to the warehouse. He studied the distance he’d have to jump from, knowing that if he missed he might make too much noise and draw attention to his location, then he made the leap, landing perfectly and rolling across the roof and back to his feet. As he had hoped, there were some skylights, and he crept over to each one, taking a look to gather intel.

“I got eyes on the baddies.” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m not seeing any hostages yet.”

“My count while fighting was twenty counting the leader.” Nat said.

“Is that your actual count or your adjusted one for possible hidden baddies?” Clint asked.

“Adjusted, who do you take me for?”

Clint smirked, “You’re losing your touch, I count twentysix, but I have a few blind spots, so I say it’s good to assume there’s probably closer to thirty.”

“Got eyes on the leader?” Tony asked, “Older guy in a suit and doesn’t look like he’s fought a day in his life so it makes no sense that he’s here.”

“Oh, that guy, sure, he’s talking to Scientist Supreme.”

Nat cursed. “When were you planning on telling us AIM is involved?”

“I just did?”

“You could have opened with that.”

“Well, she’s the only person I see who screams evil world-domination-attempt group members. She’s probably using these wanna-be mafia guys for something. Sacrificial lambs or whatever for the slaughter they don’t feel is worth their own members. She is holding a fancy new science gun thing. No idea what it does, so be careful storming the castle.”

“Fun.” Tony grumbled. “Just what I woke up wanting to happen today...more of AIM’s bastardizations of science.”

“One of the skylights is open.” Clint said, moving over to the open skylight and looking in. it had a decent view of the AIM scientist. “I have a clear shot, should I take it?”

“No, don’t give away your position until you have to.” Steve said.

“Then I’m going to slip inside and see if I can hear anything.” Clint said, “I’ll be going silent while inside.”

Steve sighed, “Alright, you have fifteen minutes to get back out and report back before we make our move. Be careful, and please say something if you’re spotted.”

“You have nothing to worry about, I’m a sneaky bastard when it counts.” Clint slipped inside, silently dropping himself down onto a wooden platform with the quietest thump that he could manage. Pausing, he crouched low and strained to listen for signs that he’d been heard. No one had seemed to notice so he moved slowly along the tops of storage shelves, platforms, and stacks of crates until he was close enough to the majority of the group.

“Can’t you test it on one of the others?” the man in the suit was asking.

Scientist Supreme scowled, “ _ No _ , I can’t just test it on one of the others. This has a very specific purpose. It needs to be tested on the one it’s intended for. It won’t work the same on the unenhanced.”

“Um, sir? Miss Rappaccini, Ma’am?” some random grunt spoke up from where he was stationed near the doors to the warehouse.

“What?” the suit snapped.

“It seems Captain America has joined the group out there. We might want to make a move before they get a plan…”

“Well? Get going then!” Scientist Supreme huffed.

“These are my men, they follow my orders!” Suit snapped.

“And if you want AIM to live up to our part of the deal, you’ll follow my orders.”

“Uh...yes. You heard the lady!”

Clint blacked up carefully and began making his way back as quickly as he could while keeping quiet. He leapt up , catching the edge of the open skylight and pulled himself up and out of the warehouse.

“They’re getting ready to make a move on you guys.” he said once he was out, “Seems AIM is wanting to test something here. Probably that gun thing. Scientist Supreme is being picky on what it’s tested on, but I wouldn’t count it out of the possibility of her turning it on any of us if she gets backed into a corner.” 

“Good to know.” Tony said.

“Well, if they’re ready to dance, why don’t we oblige?” Thor said, and Clint could hear the grin on his face.

Clint moved across to overlook the edge where he could see the Avengers assembled and ready to make a move.

“Hey, you guys drawing the fight out here or going in there? Gotta know where to station myself.” Clint asked.

“Little bit of A, little bit of B.” Tony said, “Widow and Cap are heading inside to flush them out, the rest of us will be waiting.”

“Which should I do?”

“Whichever, your skills would work nicely either way.”

“Inside, someone’s gotta watch Nat’s back.” Clint decided, turning to go back inside through the skylight.

“You mean you want me to watch yours. How many bandages will you have afterwards this time, Hawkeye? Taking bets now.” Nat teased.

Clint dropped back down into the warehouse and moved along to a good spot, drawing an arrow and notching it. The doors blew open as Hulk kicked them in, and Clint watched Natasha and Steve sweep inside like cats about to get rid of a rodent infestation. He lost himself in the familiar atmosphere of the fight, relaxing as he shot arrow after arrow. He’d been afraid for the longest time that getting back into things like this would drag out his nightmares, but there were no doombots or saws, and his mind didn’t start to stray.

That was, until Steve's shield bounced off the support of the shelf Clint was standing on and topled to the ground instead of flying back to Steve. It wasn’t right and it pulled Clint’s attention from his target, still making the shot as his eyes fell on Steve, facing off against Scientist Supreme. She was gloating about something, taking aim with her new mystery gun, and the only thing that was in Clint’s mind as his body moved on it’s own was:

_ No! Not again! _

He ran towards them, leaping off his vantage point as he let an arrow out.

The arrow lodged in her shoulder as he landed in front of Steve, off balance and falling against him, just as she pulled the trigger and they were engulfed in a greenish-yellow light.

* * *

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

“Steve?” Bucky called out as he let himself into their shared apartment, “I picked up groceries on my way home."

Steve shuffled out of the bedroom, hair a mess and a blanket wrapped around him. “Hey Buck, welcome home.”

“Bad day?” Bucky asked, setting the bags of groceries down and walking over to his friend to put a hand on his forehead.

“Just a headache.” Steve insisted, swatting Bucky’s hand away, “I finished the painting your boss commissioned and just decided to lay down to sleep off the headache.”

“Oh, great, I’ll let Mr. Stark know it’s ready for him. Bucky ruffled Steve’s hair and moved to the kitchenette to put groceries away, “Feel up to cooking tonight?”

“No need. Mom dropped by earlier and left some of her chili. We just need to reheat it.” 

“Nice.”

Bucky finished putting things away as his best friend pulled out the chili and put it in the oven to reheat.

“Want to go out for some air while we wait?” Bucky asked, hanging his hat and jacket by the door.

“Probably should get some fresh air. I’ve been inside painting most of the day.” Steve agreed.

They opened the window and climbed out onto the fire escape, settling down and looking over the view of Brooklyn.

“So how’s work?” Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged, “Frustrating. We keep running into issues. Can’t get enough power to make the damn thing run long enough to do any good. At least if it’s not plugged into a wall. But we need it to be portable, or it’s useless to those who would benefit from it. Even Mr. Stark is pulling his hair out trying to figure it out. He has a design for something that would work, but one of the key components needed for it is expensive and hard to come by. We want things to stay affordable once it’s released.—Hey, are you sure you’re okay there, Stevie? You don’t look so good…”

“I...suddenly feel strange.” Steve admitted.

Bucky stood up, “Should I call your mother?”

Steve’s scent in the air suddenly gave a sharp twist, reminding Bucky of a child’s muted and beta-like scent changing when they present as an alpha, only it was more settled rather than raging. But it was unmistakably alpha—and Steve.

Was he going through a very late presentation?

“No I…”

“I’m calling her!” Bucky insisted, turning to climb back into their apartment to rush to the phone. Sarah Rogers was a nurse. She’d know what to do.

“Bu—” as a strange greenish-yellow light flashed, Steve’s voice cut off suddenly and Bucky turned just in time to see feet clad only in socks pitch down over the railing towards the alley below.

“STEVIE!”

Bucky ran down the fire escape as quickly as he could and leapt down the rest of the way once he was closer to the ground and wouldn’t break his ankle on the landing. 

Steve was groaning—good, at least that was a sign his neck didn’t snap on the landing—from a pile of now broken crates—less good; he might have broken some other bones.

“Steve?” Worried, Bucky hurried over to check on his friend before he ran to phone Sarah or the emergency services.

Steve lay half sprawled in the wreckage, eyes screwed shut against the glare of the streetlights, and probably pain. His clothing had torn, bursting at the seams over his suddenly much larger build, and his now massive arms were wrapped protectively around a completely naked man with messy blond hair, legs for miles, and the sweet sultry scent of distressed omega.

“...Steve?”

Steve groaned again and blinked opened his eyes, looking around to process what the hell had just happened to him. He was glad to find Clint safe in his arms. When he’d seen Clint leap between him and Scientist Supreme he was sure of the worst. He was so relieved to find Clint with him and still breathing, it took him a moment to realize with a stain of pink on his cheeks, that the blond had no clothes on whatsoever. His aids also seemed to be missing from his ears. Still, he was safe, and they were…well, not in the same place they had been last. Everything was very confusing, especially when Steve looked up from Clint to find _Bucky_ of all people looking down at him with wide eyes and an expression that was just as confused as Steve’s. 

“...Bucky?”

It _was_ Bucky, he smelled like Bucky, and his nose was never wrong about the scent of someone he knew and cared about. But Bucky’s hair was short, neatly styled in the way he remembered of his best friend before they had ever gone to war… He had a hard time looking away from the face he thought, for the second time in his life, that he’d never get to see in person again.

Bucky shifted, licking his lips and glancing around before back at Steve, “...I have so many questions.” He paused, breathing in before, “Are you hurt?”

“I…I don’t think so?” Steve grunted, sitting up a little, being careful not to jostle Clint around too much. “I also have questions…your omega probably will have more than me.”

 _His_... _what_?

“Okay, you hit your head, then.” Bucky nodded and glanced around. Neither of them were wearing jackets to cover the omega up, but there were some sheets on a line above. Judging by the soft peachy-pink color, he assumed they probably belonged to their neighbor Peggy. She was a very understanding woman, so he was sure she wouldn’t mind as long as it was returned to her. 

“Hold on a second.” he moved and jumped a few times off an undamaged crate to grab the fire escape ladder and pull it down so he could scramble up and grab a sheet. Then he hurried back down and held it out to Steve. “Here, uh, for that fella.”

Steve took the sheet and wrapped it around Clint carefully, trying to let Bucky feel as non threatened as possible. Bucky was clearly okay with Steve covering Clint as he wasn’t trying to do it himself, but it had been almost two years. He didn’t want to stress his friend who could be feeling the effects of mate sickness, if he could have mate sickness after suddenly being back... The blond alpha wasn’t sure how Bucky was here once more, and there was a flood of emotions running through his body. He had no place to be jealous of Bucky suddenly existing again; Bucky was his oldest friend and Clint’s heart belonged to Bucky. Steve didn’t need to get in the way of the two.

Sighing, Steve slowly got up, groaning as he did so. “Damn, that was a hard hit…”

“Well, you did fall from the fire escape on the top floor into a bunch of wooden crates. I was sure I’d get down here to find you with a snapped neck or spine.” Bucky said, reaching out to help Steve up, and—wow, Steve didn’t just get bigger, he got taller—a lot taller. The runt now seemed to dwarf him. “...Let's get you back inside before you split a very important seam completely.”

“Fire escape?” Steve looked up, squinting a bit. “Clint and I were fighting with the other Avengers…I don’t remember a fire escape.”

“Are you reading a new book or something? Uh...it’ll be hard to get that omega up the fire escape, wouldn’t it? One of us can go up and unlock the door for the other to carry him in through the door...hopefully no one will see… We don’t need the gossip.”

“Here, I’ll go unlock the door, you hold Clint. I’m sure he’d like to wake up in your arms again.” Steve moved to hand the smaller blond over to his friend, fully expecting Clint to just fall to the ground but relieved when that didn’t happen. So that proved Bucky wasn’t a ghost. 

Probably. 

Unless this was the afterlife and they were both also ghosts. Steve didn’t want to believe that, though.

Bucky gathered the omega into his arms carefully, taking a moment to shift his weight. He really didn’t understand why Steve thought that the omega—Clint?—would be happy to be in _his_ arms. He had never seen the omega before in his life, and while he didn't know everyone that Stevie met, he was pretty sure Steve didn’t know many omegas. Hell, he didn’t know where this omega even came from! It was possible the omega was down in the alley before Steve fell, but the guy was completely naked, and had somehow landed on top of Steve. It’d make more sense if the omega had broken Steve’s fall and been on the bottom, crushed between the crates and Steve’s suddenly large bulk. But still, why was the guy _naked_?!

Bucky carried his bundled source of confusion around to the back door into the apartment building and moved up the stairs to the top floor, luckily without running into anyone. He had enough questions of his own, and he didn’t need to deal with answering other people’s questions. He got to the door of their apartment and gave it a kick, “Okay Stevie, let me in.”

The door opened, Steve waiting on the other side and quite frankly taking up the whole doorway until he moved to the side to let Bucky in. “Good thing I still remember how to get in here… I...don’t think Clint and I are in the same year we were in just minutes ago.” he admitted, his eyes flickering to Bucky’s arm. An arm that should have been made of unyielding metal plates, but was fully flesh and natural. That only helped confirm the suspicions he got when he climbed in the open window and found himself in the same apartment he and Bucky had shared before the war, though it had some noticeable changes. Furnisher was a higher quality and it made it seem like money wasn’t really an issue.

“It’s still 1948, Stevie, just like it was before you fell.” Bucky set Clint on the couch and turned to look back at Steve, eyeing how his clothes strained against his bulk. “I’ll lend you something of mine to wear. It’ll still be tight, but won’t look like you’re trying to wear children’s clothes.” He moved to grab something for Steve to change into as he gathered his thoughts.

“Okay...” he said, returning and handing Steve the folded slacks, shirt, and underwear, “So, you presented really late as an alpha, that’s obvious. Still doesn’t explain how you got so huge. I never got huge when I presented. I had to grow into it, so I’ll just say that’s rude, Punk. Second, who is the omega, and how do you know him?”

Steve was silent for a bit. It was _1948_ , somehow he and Clint had travelled back in time, but not to a _familiar_ time. Probably from that weird mystery gun that Scientist Supreme had cornered him with. 

Sighing, the blond finally spoke. “Okay, this is gonna be a lot to explain, I think… Clint and I came here from the year 2017. I think we got blasted here from a mystery gun that showed up in our battle we were engaging in. I got larger, healthier, and more alpha-ish due to a super soldier serum I had injected into me during World War Two. You…knew that. At least the Bucky I was familiar with knew that. I rescued you from a Hydra facility that was turning you into a weapon for them to use…but if this is 1948, the war would already be over and you’d be gone… You fell off a train during a mission.”

Pausing slightly, Steve looked back at Clint. “And to answer the second part, this is Clint Barton, and he was your omega after we found you in the future and helped you recover from what Hydra did to you. You two were bonded.”

“World War Two? 2017? Hydra?” You’re raising more questions than answering, Stevie. With talks of battles and mystery guns and serums. It sounds like you had an elaborate dream of some sort during your nap, and when you fell and hit your head you became confused. I really should call you mom over to take a look at you...maybe the omega, too. It doesn’t sit right with me that the poor guy’s completely naked. He might have been attacked…”

Mom… Steve’s mom had died before the war, yet she was apparently still around. If the year hadn’t been convincing enough, then that detail was; this wasn’t just time travel. This was a whole different timeline where things happened differently. But Bucky still smelled like Bucky, so the timelines were still close enough to suggest that...that Clint could have his alpha back.

“We _were_ attacked, that’s how we ended up here. I have no idea how he ended up naked…I didn't turn up naked."

“I meant attacked by unsavory criminals who think that they have a right to touch an omega just because they are an omega.” Bucky shook his head and sighed, glancing back at the unconscious omega laying on the couch. He was still wrapped in the borrowed sheet, but his shoulder and neck were exposed, an obvious mating mark silvered against his skin. It certainly wasn’t a _fresh_ mark. It had been given time to heal over properly, so it hadn’t been done recently. He did seem to have bruises though, on what little skin he could see without lifting the sheet—which he absolutely would not invade the omega’s privacy more than had been unavoidable, given the situation.

Steve kept telling him that the omega was his mate… Bucky could hardly believe that. He’d casually dated a ton of beta girls, but he’d never taken an omega out to dance or to have dinner. He didn’t think he had the time for anything serious. He was pushing forward in his career at Stark Industries, climbing the ladder until he was working directly with, and under, Howard Stark himself. And at home he had Steve, who was sick half the time, and covered in paint two-thirds of the time. He had not even taken a beta girl out in months.

Yet this omega with the messy blond hair and a silvered bonding mark was supposed to be his?

None of what Steve was saying made any sense, and Bucky was a smart man. He worked with Howard Stark, for golly’s sake! He made good money using his brain to help develop the latest advancements in the medical field.

He looked back over at Steve who was pulling on Bucky’s clothes after finally having managed to strip off his own once too large, now far, far too small clothes.

“He showed up here naked...you showed up in the same clothes you were wearing when you were your adorable small beta self…” Bucky said slowly as he worked over the information in his head, putting it all together like pieces to a puzzle. “Assuming you’re not talking out of a concussion from landing on your head, that...gun you mentioned must have been some sort of device that swapped you with the version of you that was here with me...which means my Steve is probably wherever—or whenever—it is you came from. Your omega friend...” he gestured to the couch, “Well, you said you came from 2017, right? Somehow you never aged, and I never aged, but that can’t be the case for everyone, so he’s probably from the future and he doesn’t have a version of himself here to switch with. And if the device only works on living organic material, then things such as clothing and personal items wouldn’t be transported. It’s all incredibly impossible, of course, but it’s what makes sense once you remove the limitations of what we believe to be possible verses impossible.”

He looked back over at Clint who still hadn’t moved. There was one test he could do on the theory based on the information he had, but it would be a bit invasive to the omega. A strange alpha shoving his nose into an omega’s scent gland was very improper, but he’d be able to scent the alpha that had marked him...he’d be able to tell if it had been him or not.

Clint was—he was incredibly attractive, and the more Bucky looked at him, the more he felt an urge to protect him from whatever had left those scrapes and bruises on his body. He wanted to know if Steve was right about the omega being his… A fated pair, traveling through time to unite. But then...what about the future him? The him that had actually left that mark on the omega’s neck? Was it really fate when he _also_ lost him?

“Stevie…” Bucky wet his lips and glanced over at Steve who was now fully dressed and frowning down at that morning’s paper that had been left out. “Where am I where you claim to be from?”

Steve looked up at Bucky and gained a saddened expression. “Well…we got into a battle with some doombots… You...you didn’t survive the attack.”

“Doombots...Stevie, that sounds like something out of a cheesy science fiction novel…” he said while turning over the more important half of the information in his mind.

He _hadn’t survived_ the attack…

He had died, leaving behind an omega with only half a bond. Alphas and omegas alike had wasted away after losing their mates, so Clint...he was suffering—if all this was true. So maybe it _was_ fate, bringing them _back_ together after something had gone so wrong...

Bucky closed his eyes, “How long ago?”

“Almost two years. The rest of us have been there for him but he only recently started agreeing to leave the tower where we live, but he still can’t manage to sleep in his own bed he had once shared with you...”

Bucky nodded and looked back down at Clint, “I want to—do you think he’d mind if I…” he gestured from his nose to the mark on Clint’s neck.

“I think he’d want that.” Steve responded, a little reluctantly. Truth be told, he was starting to fall for Clint, and he knew that the omega already had a mark on his neck. But Clint had been suffering still, even if he didn’t show it as much, and Steve wanted to make Clint feel better. But now _Bucky_ was back to a certain degree, so Steve _had_ to step back and let the two be the destined pair they so obviously were meant to be. He couldn’t deny either of them happiness, even if it left him tending to a heart that had started to pine for Clint. 

He never intended to start falling in love with Clint. He’d only meant to be a good friend offering comfort and support. He wasn’t even sure when his feelings of fond friendship had drifted towards romantic affection, but it had, and now that he was watching Bucky standing over Clint, he was starting to realize how his feelings had changed.

Bucky hesitated before crouching down by the couch, studying the unfamiliar face before he leaned in closer, hovering just over the bonding gland on his neck. He paused again, glancing at Steve before pulling in a deep breath to get a good nosefull of the omega’s sweet scent that—well, it _did things_ to Bucky that he didn’t want to admit. That aside, the scent _was_ in fact layered with a hint of alpha, faded from so much time apart from said alpha, but it was still there, forever mixed into his natural scent.

And it matched Bucky’s own scent.

Like anyone, Bucky didn't know his own scent since it was himself and he was so used to it that he couldn’t pick it up, but here, mixed with this omega, he could tell it was his own scent as it made his alpha side scream _mine_.

Bucky let out a shocked, shaky breath as he pulled back, unable to stop himself from reaching up to brush a lock of tangled blond hair from his omega’s face.

“It shouldn’t be possible…” he whispered.

“He’s yours, Buck.” Steve almost whispered. “Even if you’re from a different time and place. Clint is your omega, and his heart’s been broken ever since that day you died.”

“But I’m not the version of me he knows. I know nothing about him. I don’t even know what his voice sounds like. He might not want me. He might hate me for dying and then showing back up in his life having no memory of him. I can’t expect him to honor my claim on him. Plus I don’t have his mark in return.” he rubbed at his own unmarked bonding gland. “He might see me as someone attempting to replace the me he loves…”

“We’ll have to explain some things to him, but…even though you’re a different version, you could tell he was yours. Clint might get upset but that’s a risk we have to take. He needs to know what’s going on, and it’s his choice to make. We can’t make it for him either way.” Steve said, feeling like he already knew what Clint would choose. He’d choose Bucky, even if they had to start over and he knew he had to make space to keep memories of both Buckys separate in order to honor his first, Clint was so deeply in love with Bucky Barnes, he’d ultimately choose to take this second chance. He _wouldn’t_ choose Steve. Clint didn’t even have romantic feelings for Steve. They were _just_ friends.

“I’m a bit worried that he came through whatever science fiction-like experience unconscious like this when you were awake and aware.”

“He’s a normal human.” Steve shrugged, “I’m...I’m an enhanced human. Super strength, super health… I’m immune to poisons that could kill most people. I don’t get sick ever, and Buck...it takes elephant tranquilizers to take me down, and even then it doesn't last long. I know from experience.”

“What the fuck, Punk.”

Steve only smiled bashfully at him, tucking his hands in his pockets.

“Well, I expect this to mean that once winter comes, you won’t almost die because you went outside on an emergency run to the store to buy more paint in a color you ran out of unexpectedly.”

“Is that what I do here? Paint?” Steve asked.

“Yes, you’re actually making a good name for yourself. You actually just finished a commission for Mr. Stark earlier today. You’re starting to make really good money off your art. Do you still do art in the future?”

Wow, they would have to find a way to refer to both versions of each other in a better way than that, but for now it’d have to do.

“Yes, but it’s more as a hobby. I work as the leader of a team of heroes called the Avengers—Clint’s also on that team, and so were you. And I sometimes will do some work for a branch of the government called SHIELD. It’s all the basic stopping the bad guys from hurting people.” Steve gave a small laugh, “Even in my technical nineties I still don’t like bullies and put it upon myself to teach them a lesson.”

“You never change, do you? Even when you’re ten times bigger, still a little punk.”

Steve laughed and moved to pull Bucky into a tight hug, “God, I missed you, Buck…”

“I miss you being small enough to drag away from fights before you get yourself in too deep.” Bucky chuckled into the shoulder of a hug that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

“It’s possible, I guess. For you, not me.” Steve shrugged, patting Bucky on the back and moving to the little table and sitting down in one of the chairs.

“What do you mean?”

Steve shrugged, “The way I see it is Clint and I can’t do anything about being here. This is the past compared to where we came from, and the tech needed to try sending us back just isn’t going to be possible. If anything, it’ll be up to what everyone left where we came from can figure out, but if your theory is right...I’ll switch with my other self, but Clint—Clint won’t have a way to come back. He didn’t get switched, he piggy-backed with me. I don’t think it’s possible for him to go back.” Steve said, realizing just how much that was the situation they were likely in.

“So he’s staying…” Bucky sat down in the chair across from Steve, glancing over at Clint on the couch, “Even if he wants to go back, he’ll be stuck here…”

“Unless Tony figures it out, but as brilliant as he is at making the impossible a reality...this one is harder to imagine him doing.”

“Tony?”

“One of the team. Tony Stark, the only son of Howard Stark.”

“Howard Stark has a son?”

“Eventually.”

“Huh, imagine that. I thought he was too married to his work.”

“You sound like you know that for sure.”

“Well, I do work for him.” Bucky grinned. “Should know my boss’ work habits, and he’s at work before I arrive and stays well after I get off. I’m not even sure he knows what a date is.”

“You work for him?”

“Yup! I help develop all the latest Stark advancements in medical technology. I’m not allowed to go into detail about current projects so when I talk about it I am pretty vague, but I’m helping to better the world.”

“That’s amazing, Buck...I always knew you liked seeing technology advance and feats of science that seems too far out to be achievable, but I never imagined you’d land a dream job like that.”

“Thanks, Stevie.” Bucky glanced into the kitchen and stood up, “Hungry? It’s your mom’s chili.”

“Please.” Steve practically whined. Even if he hadn’t been hungry, he would have jumped at the chance to taste his mother’s cooking again. He wondered if he could go see her, or if his size difference would alarm her, especially if he ended up switching back…

* * *

Clint groaned, shifting his body as he slowly awoke.

Coffee. He needed coffee.

And some advil.

He was sore, and there was a faint buzzing feeling within his skin that didn’t seem right. It felt similar to the last time he’d taken a blast of magic directly that had fucked his body’s cycle up, or the time he’d been hit by one of Tony’s repulsors. Both had not been great experiences, so it left him wondering, as much as his pre-coffee mind could wonder, about what had happened.

He rolled over and instantly felt himself hit the floor, which shocked him a little more awake, though he didn’t bother opening his eyes.

The last thing he remembered was leaping back into battle with the Avengers and watching Steve—he hadn’t had his shield, and...oh yeah. He did the reckless thing he was always scolded for. He gave a chuckle. He’d taken the hit for Steve and now was probably in medical—

No, it couldn’t be medical. Medical had bars to stop him from falling out of bed, yet here he was, on the floor. And it hadn’t been a big fall, so it was probably a couch…

The world was silent, indicating his aids were out, and shifting his focus further—

His eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking down and lifting the sheet and blanket that he was tangled in.

Naked.

Utterly and truly naked.

“What the fuck.” That wasn’t right. He looked around, taking in the rather antique-y looking apartment he seemed to be in. Then he lifted the blanket to give it a curious sniff. It smelled faintly of Steve, so...maybe Steve had another apartment outside of the tower that he used as a safehouse of sorts? Hardly came here? Maybe the fight had gone south after Clint’s self-sacrifice? Maybe his gear had been damaged to the point where it was pointless to wear and Steve didn’t have anything laying around to lend him?

Well, it wasn’t like Clint was shy about his body, and nearly everyone on the team had seen him naked before, so it wasn’t a big deal until it came time to leave. And it did make him feel better to think this strange place was Steve’s secret apartment.

He pushed himself up onto shaky legs and glanced around at the side table. No aids. Well fuck, had they been fried or something? Tony was probably repairing them for him or something.

“Steve? Nat? Anyone, really.” Clint called out, “Anyone want to explain what the fuck happened?” he grabbed the sheet and tied it around himself like an overly lazy toga that left one side completely exposed and dragged on the floor behind him, but it covered his junk, so that was what was important, he supposed. He made his way into the kitchen, frowning when he didn’t find a coffee machine. There was, however, a coffee mill to grind beans and a kettle. Goodie. More work to achieve coffee. He had never made coffee this way, but if Steve didn’t come save him by making him coffee the old way, then he was going to try!

“If someone doesn’t come make me coffee I can’t promise this will go well!” Clint called out, looking towards the unexplored areas of the apartment. There was no sign of life, so Clint shrugged and went about his attempt at making coffee without a machine to do it for him at the press of a button.

Clint couldn't hear, of course, so he stood at the stove, watching the steam leaving the kettle, trying to judge when enough was coming out to cause it to whistle. When he figured it was screaming the song of it’s people, he picked it up with a pot holder and turned the flame of the stove off. He turned around to go to the counter when he yelped in surprise, dropping the kettle and cursing while he screamed when boiling water went everywhere, including up his legs.

A woman had been standing behind him, and she was very much _not_ Natasha.

In the chaos of splashing hot water, she had jumped back with wide eyes, her hands up in a way that suggested that she was trying to calm him, and she was speaking far too fast for Clint to be able to attempt to read before he’d had coffee.

* * *

Steve was exhausted, honest to god exhausted. He and Bucky had stayed up far too late talking and comparing the differences between their timelines, eating chili, and hoping that Clint would wake up.

Clint hadn’t woken up, and the sun had reappeared over the horizon outside the window. Bucky had cursed before hurrying to freshen himself up and get to work, promising he’d be able to take a nap during one of his breaks and that Howard Stark was understanding of an rare sleep-deprived day so long as it didn’t become a habit. 

After Bucky left, Steve found a spare blanket to lay over Clint before climbing into one of the beds and he was sure he was out before his head hit the pillow.

He also laid some of the blame on the fact that he had traveled from one timeline to another, and super soldier or not, that took a lot out of him.

So he hadn’t realized when Clint woke up, hadn’t registered his calls for help with coffee, or when the door squeaked open following a too-long whistle of a kettle. But he did find himself jerking awake when something loud clattered in the kitchen followed by a string of screaming curses laced with pain.

Steve leapt to his feet, running to see what was happening.

In the kitchen area he found Clint wrapped in the sheet with red burn blisters on his legs, steaming water all over the floor, likely from the overturned kettle, and—

—And Peggy Carter standing stunned with a worried look as she spoke.

“Calm down, calm down, sweet omega, I won’t hurt you.” the pretty alpha woman was saying.

Steve took in a deep breath. Bucky had told him that Peggy was their neighbor in this timeline, but he didn’t expect to run into her so soon, let alone like this. He pushed all the thoughts of her aside and chose first to help calm down Clint who had seemed to find a kitchen knife and was holding it out with a very confused look on his face. Which was valid. Clint would know Peggy’s face from the portrait of her in SHIELD headquarters. She was one of the founding members of it, after all. He would be alarmed to see her so young and lively outside of old pictures.

The blond alpha stepped over the cooling puddles of water, waving a hand to catch Clint’s attention.

“Hey there, it’s okay, calm down.” he said, signing along with his words, “There’s a lot to explain. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you finally woke up.”

Clint visibly relaxed and set the knife down before slumping forward into Steve’s chest, “Coffee…”

Steve barked out a laugh, petting Clint’s hair before nodding and speaking slowly so Clint could read his lips, “Alright, I’ll make you coffee. Breakfast, too. You should eat.”

Clint nodded and looked down at the mess of water.

“Hey.” Steve tilted Clint’s face back up to look at him, “Go sit on the couch, I’ll get this cleaned up and your coffee started, then we’ll see about those burns on your legs, alright?”

“I don—”

“No, none of that. I’m not making you go to medical, I’m just going to make sure they don’t _need_ medical. Go sit.”

Clint nodded, glanced at Peggy again, and then moved back towards the couch.

Steve sighed and looked over at Peggy once Clint had settled down and started shifting the blanket Steve had found for him around his shoulders.

“Peggy…”

She pulled her attention back to him, “Steve...I seem to remember you being much smaller...and a beta.”

“It’s a long story.” Steve said, moving to get out the mop.

“And the omega?”

“Another long story.” he said.

She nodded, “I didn’t mean to scare him. I thought he had heard me…”

“He’s deaf.” Steve shook his head, “His hearing aids were lost, so he’s stuck reading lips unless people know sign.”

“Oh. And his clothes?”

“Also lost. Bucky’s planning on bringing him some stuff when he gets out of work. He’s a bit big for my small clothes… Luckily, Clint’s never been shy about his body, so I didn’t think he’d mind waiting for something that would fit him better than what Bucky and I have laying around.” Not to mention he worried that Clint would have had a meltdown if he had woken up in clothes that scented like Bucky without Bucky actually being there to help explain things.

“Is that why he’s wearing my bed sheet?”

Steve flushed red, “Sorry, Bucky just grabbed what was immediately available. Like I said, it’s a bit of a story.”

Peggy hummed, glancing over at Clint as Steve moved around the kitchen.

“Why are you here, anyway?” Steve asked, hoping he didn’t sound rude.

Her eyes snapped back to him, “Because I heard the kettle whistling for far too long and I thought you had a medical emergency. Isn’t that why you two gave me a spare key to your place? I was worried!”

“O-oh…”

“But then I walked in and there was an omega spaced out in your kitchen, watching the kettle scream. I tried to get his attention but he still startled when he finally turned around, which caused the mess.” She paused, “Is he yours? I saw he has a mark, and he curled into you for comfort…”

Steve shook his head, “He’s Bucky’s. I’m just a close friend he trusts.”

She nodded, “Then I’ll finish the coffee, you go look at those burns.”

Steve nodded and moved to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom, then he moved over to the couch, sitting down. “Hey.” he signed along with his words.

Clint looked over at him, “She your girlfriend?” he asked in a tight voice.”

“No.” Steve said, shaking his head.

“She looks like Peggy Carter…”

“That’s because she _is_ Peggy Carter.”

“...Junior?”

“Senior.”

“What?”

“Clint, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“Easy, trying to prevent your star-spangled ass from getting vaporized by that gun from one of AIM’s mad scientist labs. Glad to see it was a dud. I wouldn’t be excited at all if I woke up vaporized.”

“Well, it didn’t vaperize us, but it wasn’t a dud.” Steve sighed, “Come on, prop your legs up here so I can look at them.”

“I think you’re just looking for an excuse to feel them up, Cap.” Clint teased.

Steve flushed, “Clint, please.”

Clint shrugged, shifting to put both his legs over Steve’s lap as he leaned back against the armrest. “What do you mean it wasn’t a dud?”

“We aren't in the same timeline, Clint. We’re in 1948 of a world that never saw either of the World Wars. I was switched with this timeline’s version of myself, but you don’t exist so you sort of just appeared with me. All our gear and everything was left behind…” Steve trailed off and reached for a burn cream to put on Clint’s burns before wrapping them to protect them, letting Clint have a moment to let the information soak in.

Clint draped himself back over the arm of the couch as he turned the information over in his mind. “...Fuck, I need coffee to deal with this…”

A mug suddenly appeared before his eyes and he sat up, looking at Peggy who was offering it to him with an unreadable expression. He reached out to take it with a smile, “Thanks, uh, miss? Ma’am? Uh…”

“Peggy is fine.” she said slowly, sitting gracefully down in the chair kiddy-corner to the couch. Hu, Steve must have told her that he was deaf, and she was kind enough to try and make lip-reading easier for him. He appreciated that, seeing as he didn’t have his aids at all while they were stuck in an alternate past.

“Peggy. Thanks.” he said before taking a big sip of the coffee. Ah, yes, that was the stuff.

“I overheard what you said.” Peggy told Steve, still speaking slowly so Clint remained included.

Steve nodded, “I told you it’s a long story.”

“Complicated, it sounds like.”

“So you aren’t Steve’s girlfriend, but are you other Steve’s girlfriend?” Clint asked.

She blinked in surprise, “No, I’m currently seeing a lovely omega named Angie.”

Clint seemed to relax, which made her curious. She cocked her head to the side, a curl falling onto her cheek, “Why was it important that you ask about that?”

Clint shrugged, a haunted look in his eye. “It’s just, the other Steve is no longer here...and...it hurts to lose someone you love so suddenly, you know?” he rubbed at his bonding mark. 

Steve looked up from wrapping Clint’s leg and sucked in a breath before waving to get Clint’s attention.

“There’s something else you should know.” he admitted, “Clint, h—”

He was cut off when the apartment door opened and Bucky walked in carrying a parcel. Clint’s gaze naturally flickered towards the movement and then stuck, his eyes widening as he pulled his legs back under himself to slowly stand. “...Bucky?”

Clint’s stomach twisted, tears pricking at his eyes. This couldn’t...it isn’t… But, no...it is. He should have expected this. This wasn’t his timeline. Of course Bucky was here...but..this Bucky wasn’t _his_ Bucky…

That didn’t seem to stop his body from moving, gravitating towards the alpha that smelled so familiar, didn’t stop him from flinging himself onto the man, shoving his nose into the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath as the tears finally fell down his cheeks.

“Sorry, I know you aren’t…”

Bucky tossed the parcel at Steve and brought his arms up around Clint, giving him a comforting squeeze before pulling back to tilt Clint’s chin up to look at him, “Hey, it’s okay. Stevie told me what happened. You can’t help it if your instincts don’t care if I’m not the same me you knew. I don’t mind helping you.” he glanced over at Steve, “Half of the clothes in that should fit you, big boy, go put a shirt on and stop showing off. Clint can get dressed after, I think he’d going to be attached to me for a bit longer.”

“Thanks, Buck.” Steve said, standing up and going back to the bedroom to change.

Bucky scooped Clint up in his arms, smirking at the cute startled yip that escaped the omega, and carried him over to the couch before sitting down with him. “Hey Peggy, didn’t expect you to be here. How confused are yo—Christ, Clint, what happened to your legs? They weren’t in need of bandages last night!” he said spotting Clint’s legs when the sheet fell off them.”

“Coffee.” Clint admitted.

“I’m afraid I startled him and he dropped a hot kettle, the water splashed him.” Peggy said, “I had thought Steve had collapsed or something so I came in to check on him. Found Clint instead. Steve explained a few things.”

“You seem calm for someone who just walked into some sort of science fiction situation.”

Peggy hummed, her red lips twitching upwards, “I work for the government, Mr. Barnes, this is hardly the strangest situation I’ve been involved with this week.”

Clint tilted his head at her, “SHIELD is a thing in this timeline, too? Even without the war’s influence?”

“You know of SHIELD?”

“Sure, in my timeline you were one of its founders, and I work there as an agent, well, part-time agent after joining the Avengers team which was started by SHIELD—and okay, so after losing my Bucky I took myself off active duty but yeah, I know SHIELD.”

“You work for SHIELD...as an omega? No offence meant by the question, I’m just curious.” she inquired.

“Yeah, I mean, in the sixties there was a big omega rights movement. Got to shed the whole having to stay home to make babies thing. Got to start doing the same jobs as alphas and betas. There were even some medications developed to help manage heats so they wouldn’t be a huge issue that prevent us from working or stinking up the place. I used the scent blockers a lot. Bucky didn’t like not being able to scent me all the time, but it kept me safer on missions. I didn’t use the meds for my heat unless I absolutely had to, though. I had issues with some side effects so I mostly let my cycle run it’s natural course.”

“Goodness, you are quite open…” she said.

Clint flushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry, I forget cycle talk hasn’t been normalized back here in the forties… I’m probably not going to fit in well with the omegas around here…”

Bucky grabbed Clint’s attention, “We’ll help you adjust. In private you’ll be fine. Peggy and I both know you’re not from here.”

“Hearing you use such language when I startled you earlier was shocking enough to expect you aren’t the average wallflower most omegas are.” Peggy said.

“Is your girlfriend a wallflower?” Clint asked.

Peggy laughed, “No, but she also doesn’t have the mouth of a sailor.”

Steve walked back in, fully dressed and wearing clothes that weren’t so tight that it left little to the imagination. Clint’s eyes roamed up along Steve’s form as the alpha moved into the room and over to the couch, “Well, look at you looking all adorably old-fashioned.”

Steve flushed, “You realize this is the _current_ fashion, right?”

Clint waved his hand at him, “ _Suspenders_ , Steve.” as if that explained everything.

“Get used to them. You have some, too. I left your clothes laying out on Bucky’s bed for you.”

“Hey, I can rock any look. I’m the amazing Hawkeye!”

“Well,” Bucky said, motioning to grab Clint’s attention back, “you should go get dressed soon then. I have to get back to work, but Mr. Stark has invited you to accompany me after I told him a little about you.”

“Stark? Not Tony, right?”

“Howard.”

“Hu, never met that one. Sure, I guess I’ll go with you, but I apologize in advance if I do something shocking to today’s society.” Clint paused before he managed to reluctantly peel himself off Bucky and made his way back to the rooms down the hall, stopping in the bathroom he found to freshen up a little before looking for the bedroom. The first room he tried turned out to be an art studio. It seemed Steve was quite the artist in this timeline as well. Then he found the bedroom that smelled strongly of both Steve and Bucky, and...Clint liked the smell of the two together. They complimented each other well.

He grabbed the clothes that were laid out for him, putting them on quickly and wadding the sheet up under his arm as he walked back out to the main room.

He spread his arms out wide, “See, Steve? Super cute and old-fashioned-y.” he spun around.

Steve gave a fond, gentle smile, “I never doubted how you’d look, I just suggested you get used to suspenders.” he sighed, “Did you try to comb your hair?”

“No...it’s messy no matter what so why bother?”

“Come here.” Steve pulled out a comb and ran it through messy blond locks, trying to make it look more presentable, and parting it the way he used to do for himself back before the war. “There, now you look like you didn’t just roll out of bed.”

“But I kind of did…” Clint grinned, rocking back onto his heels as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

“Here, hopefully these will fit you. They’re an old pair of Stevie’s...too big for him but at the time they were the only ones he had.” Bucky said, bringing over a pair of shoes, “I didn’t know your size so I couldn’t pick you up any of your own.”

“Eh, won’t be the first time I’ve had to wear borrowed shoes that probably don’t fit.” Clint flashed Bucky a smile and sat down to shove his feet into the shoes. “Oh yeah, these are only a little pinchy at the toes. These are fine.”

Bucky felt himself flushing lightly as Clint flashed him that smile. Sunshine. The omega’s smile was made of literal sunshine. It made something deep inside him want to reach out and hold him close.

“So!” Clint hopped back to his feet, “Why are we going to see Tony’s dad? How do we know him?”

“He’s my boss.” Bucky said, tossing Clint his own spare coat.

“You work for him? Hu. Surprising...you barely got along with Tony in the other timeline. Then again, you had a super cool robot arm he constantly wanted to tinker with.”

“A...robot...arm?”

“Oh yeah. It was hot. You could do this _thing_ with your fingers that would drive me crazy every time!”

“Oh my god…” Steve dropped his face into his palm as Bucky, completely red in the face, escorted Clint out of the apartment.

Peggy watched Steve for a long moment. “You like him.”

Steve snapped his head up to look at her with wide eyes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he denied.

She rolled her eyes, “Oh please.” she then fixed him with a no-nonsense look, “I know how to read people, Steven Rogers, and you are an open book.”

Steve sighed, slumping back on the couch and looking up at the ceiling, “He’s Bucky’s.”

“Idiot. He was the other Bucky’s. He lost that Bucky. He has choices now.”

“I didn’t get close to him in order to steal his heart…”

“But he stole yours anyway.” she pointed out before taking his hand between hers, “You might have a chance, you know. But he needs to know all his options. He needs to know you _are_ an option. You should tell him.”

Steve shook his head, “I haven't gotten to tell him everything yet. There’s a chance that I might switch back to the other timeline, but...we think he’s stuck here. Choosing me will only hurt him if I’m taken away, and I can’t just take over the other Steve’s life and expect him not to want it back… It’s better if I don’t tell him how I feel.” 

“He should have a say in that. He may think you’re an alpha worth the risk.”

“That’s the thing, though, I’m not originally an alpha. I grew up a beta, Even after I became an alpha I kept so much of my beta habits. I don’t have the strong instincts of an alpha. Omegas don’t hold much interest in an alpha who acts more like a beta… It really is best if I keep this to myself. He’d never be interested in me.”

“Steve, you deserve a chance at happiness, too. A chance at love. You can’t assume you know how he feels…”

Steve shook his head and gave a crooked smile, “It won’t be the first time I’ve left my heart back in the forties.”

* * *

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

“This car is so cool! I can’t believe you have a classic like this!” Clint gasped, running his fingers over the powder blue Talbot Lago-Record convertible.

“It’s new.” Bucky laughed, “Hardly a classic. Now get in so we can go.”

“Keep her in good condition and she’ll be worth a fortune one day.” Clint shrugged, hopping in, “Hey, can I drive it sometime?”

“You don’t have a license.”

“I do!”

“Not one that is legal here. I’d rather we not risk you getting arrested for driving without a license. We’ll find someone who’ll give you a driver’s test and then we’ll talk about you driving.” Bucky pulled out into traffic, their conversation falling silent, just because Bucky wasn’t able to turn his head so Clint could easily read his lips. Clint, however, babbled the entire time, pointing out things that caught his eye or reminded him of something, or he saw a dog—every time he saw a dog. Clint really seemed to like dogs. He gushed for five full minutes about one dog in particular he spotted before he got distracted by another. It was endearing how much Clint lit up talking about things he loved. It was easy for Bucky to see how the other him had fallen in love. He’d be doing the same if he wasn’t careful. After all, why would Clint want him? It’d be like cheating on the memory of the Bucky he had lost. There was no way Clint would want to do that.

Finally, Bucky pulled into his parking spot outside of Stark Industries and they got out, locking the doors behind them.

“You never did tell me why you’re bringing me to work with you, you know.” Clint hinted as they walked inside and Bucky flashed his work ID to the security guard at the doors.

“I told you, Mister Stark invited you before giving me some time to go get you. The rest is a surprise.”

They got into the elevator and Bucky told the attendant which floor to take them to. When they stepped back out, Clint was finding himself looking around a lab that looked more modern than he would have ever guessed. It wasn’t as advanced as Tony’s back at the tower of course, but it was still very impressive.

Bucky took Clint’s hand and led him through the lab until they reached a man who looked a lot like Tony and could only be Howard Stark.

“Mr. Stark, sir?” Bucky said.

Howard looked up from what he was working on, goggles over his eyes making him look bug-eyed. He blinked and pushed them up into his hair before grinning, “James, my man! How many times do I have to tell you to call me Howard? Oh, and you must be the lovely omega you were telling me about!” he said, dropping his tools to sign along with his words.

Clint blinked in surprise, “You know sign?”

“Handy thing to know in situations like this.” Howard shrugged. “Come on over to my office and we’ll have a nice chat.”

They were led to a big fancy office with a desk buried in paperwork and what was probably designs for projects. Howard had them sit down on a fancy couch as he opened a drawer and pulled out a little wooden box before he joined them, sitting in a high-backed plush chair with a smile and placing the box in his lap so that his hands were free.

“Now,” Howard said once he was comfortable, “James tells me you lost your hearing aids due to an incident on your way to visit him and his roommate.”

“Oh, uh, yeah…”

“Unfortunate luck. But you’re close with one of my favorite employees, which puts you in a very unique position.” He paused to hand the box over to Bucky. “If you would like, and agree to signing a confidentiality agreement, I will gift you a pair of the latest Stark Tech hearing aids we’ve been developing and have ready for a field test. If you have any issues with them, of course you can come back to me and I’ll take a look. The best part of these aids is that you’ll no longer have to deal with those bulky power boxes that all the current models on the market have. They are completely self-contained and are rechargeable by plugging them into a device you’ll plug into a wall outlet. It’s something we’re working on for all our little personal aid things like this.”

As he spoke, Bucky opened the box, showing off the cream-colored (nothing a little of Steve's paints couldn't fix) hearing aids. Bulky compared to what Tony’s designs were, but about the same as non-Stark-Tech of the modern day Clint was used to. It seemed that this timeline was a bit more advanced in some areas than the same year of his original timeline.

“Wow...those are…”

“Impressive. I know. That nob there controls the volume so you can personalize it to what you need, or discreetly tune out the unwanted advances of some alpha bloke that won’t shut up.” Howard winked. “This switch turns them on and off. Just charge them every night and they should last all day. If the batteries start dying faster, bring them in to be looked at.

“I can really have these?”

“At the cost of a signature.” the man nodded, “You’ll be given time to read over it so you know what you’re agreeing to.”

“Can I test them out?”

“Be my guest.” Howard gestured.

Clint picked up the aids, slipping them into his ears and flipping them on with practiced ease. “Say something so I can test the volume?” he requested. Howard launched into babbling about things that went over Clint’s head, but that he assumed had to do with the hearing aids. He adjusted the volume on both aids to get it to the right setting where he could hear the best. They weren’t as clear and precise as the ones Tony made, but they were still very impressive for the time period he was currently in.

He turned his head a little, hearing the ticking of the clock on the wall layered with Howard’s talking.

“Okay, I’m impressed. Where do I sign?”

Howard hopped up and started digging through a filing covenant before pulling out a paper and scanning over it. Nodding, he brought it and a pen over, setting it down on the coffee table that was in front of the couch. “Read this over and sign it if you agree with everything. I don’t think there would be anything you’d like to change as it’s basically that you won’t sell or hand over the aids to anyone. They are for your personal use only.”

Clint nodded and took the paper, reading over it slowly, half because reading wasn’t his strong suit, and half because he wanted to be sure of everything before putting his name down. A lesson he learned the hard way with the circus and had been pounded in by SHIELD training. Not that he legally existed in this time.

As promised, the contract was as simple as agreeing not to share the hearing aids or tech within them with anyone, and that they were for his personal use only, so he picked up the pen and signed.

Howard took back the paper and nodded, looking over it. “Congratulations on being the first person to get their hands on the latest Stark hearing aids, Mr. Barton.”

“Thank you. This...really, thanks, Mr. Stark.”

“My pleasure. Now, go enjoy them. James, don’t worry about hurrying back today. Just take some of your paperwork home with you and you’ll still get paid for today.”

“What?” Bucky looked up, “Oh, that’s okay, Sir, I can—”

“I may be a beta, but I still have a nose and eyes. This omega smells like yours and he hasn’t stopped leaning in close to you since I met him.”

Clint jumped a little, becoming acutely aware of how he’d been sitting, leaning in towards Bucky until their shoulders almost touched.

“Go home and cuddle off that obvious mate sickness.” Howard insisted. “You can cuddle and go over paperwork at the same time easily, so you don’t have to do it here.” he made a shooing motion.

“Uh…”

“Thank you, sir.” Clint cut in, taking Bucky’s arm and pulling him closer.

Howard laughed and just shooed them away again, “Go make sure he cuddles you close!”

They left the office and Bucky led Clint over to where his own much smaller and simpler office was located so he could collect some paperwork.

“Sorry, this is probably awkward for you.” Clint said, leaning back against the door to Bucky’s office, trying to keep his distance.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Clint.”

“Everyone’s going to think we’re together, but you barely know me.” Clint insisted.

“I don’t mind.” Bucky tried reassuring Clint with a smile. “And really, it’ll help make the current living situation easier. I’m not sure about that other timeline, but here omegas don’t just live with random alphas or else they’re not seen in a good light.”

“Ah, people would think I’m a whore.” Clint nodded bluntly.

Bucky flinched, “Sorry.”

The omega waved it off, “Been called worse. Imagine being the only omega on a team of alpha and beta superheroes. The media had a frenzie when they found out. Tons of old people had their opinions they felt the need to express until a new big story came along and I went back to being one of the least talked about members on the team.”

“I thought omegas had a rights movement they won?”

“Oh sure, yup, that was a thing. Changed things on a legal perspective. Didn’t change the minds of some individuals. It’s fine, I grew up in an environment where skill speaks louder than gender, and I certainly have skill. World’s best marksman, you know. I never miss.”

“Never?”

“Never!” Clint grinned, “I’ll prove it to you any time.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that. What do you use?”

“Anything, but I prefer archery.”

Bucky started laughing, “You keep calling everything around you ‘old fashioned’ or ‘classic’ but you prefer using a medieval weapon?”

“Oh, it’s much, much older than that.” Clint said with an easy smile. “You know, the other you...would make fun of that, too. We’d often debate whether rifles or my bow was better. It always ended with a trip to the range to try and out shoot each other…”

Bucky sobered at that, watching the wistful expression on Clint’s face as he remembered what was most likely some treasured memories that Bucky couldn’t share.

“You know…” he said, placing some papers into his briefcase, “I won’t expect you to honor my claim on you.”

“What?”

“As mates. I know that your instincts recognize me as your alpha, but I won’t ever be the Bucky that you fell in love with. If you choose to leave and start a new life, I won’t stop you.”

“Start a new life?”

Bucky nodded, “I’ll help you as much as you need of course, no matter what you choose. This can’t be easy for you suddenly finding yourself here…”

“I’m a superhero. What’s a little trip to an alternate timeline compared to alien invasions and evil robots?”

The alpha stopped, “Didn’t Steve explain the situation to you?”

“He...started to? Kinda got off topic, then you came in...why?”

“We...think that this was a one way trip for you. There’s a chance he could go back because he switched with the Steve from this timeline, but...you don’t exist here. You didn’t switch with anyone, so there is no one to switch back with you.” Bucky explained gently.

Clint’s mouth hung open, “O-oh…” he gave a humourless scoff. “Fate can really be a bitch, can’t she?”

“What do you mean?”

Clint was quiet for a long moment, “Before we were here, and we were fighting and I saw Scientist Supreme aiming her new toy at Steve who didn’t have his shield...all I could think of was how I lost you—other you...and how I couldn’t lose him. How I couldn’t stand it if I lost someone else so suddenly, so I jumped in to protect him…” he finally lifted his face to look at Bucky, “And now I’m trapped here but he’s maybe not and he can disappear so suddenly and I’ve actually lost— _ everyone _ suddenly if Steve switches back and I’m left here alone. I’ve lost Nat, Tony, Thor, Bruce...everyone…”

“I’ll still be here.” Bucky said, moving over to place a hand on Clint’s shoulder, “You won’t be completely alone.”

Clint shook his head, “I can’t selfishly interrupt your life. Before the war you were quite the lady’s man...here there was no war, so you probably still have dates every friday night or whatever. You shouldn’t have to cancel your plans just to comfort an omega you only just met.”

“I haven’t been on a date since...Hell, I can’t even remember how long it’s been. And I do miss going out dancing, but I’m past wanting to take out random girls I’ll only see once or twice. It really isn’t a bother to spend time with you.”

Bucky sighed, giving a slightly shy smile, “Truth is, I’ve only just met you and already I can see why the other me fell in love with you. Even if it’s just as friends, I do want to see you stick around.”

“Clint felt his face go red, but he ignored it in favor of humor. “Oh no, it’s confirmed, all Bucky Barnes’ of the multiverse are cursed to be attracted to disasters.”

“Only the adorable blond ones.” Bucky winked, closing his briefcase. “Ready to go home and save Steve from himself?”

“I’m sure Steve’s fine. Probably found some paper to sketch on or something.”

“Or some bullies in an alley to start a fight with.” Bucky countered.

“Eh, at least he’s the big version? Simple bullies tend to run from him.”

“That would sure take some worries off his mother’s shoulders.”

“And yours.”

Bucky laughed, nodding, “And mine. Still have the box for your hearing aids?”

“Yup. The charger is still inside it, too.” Clint confirmed waving the small box around.

Bucky nodded and together they walked back out to Bucky’s car

“So,” Bucky said once they were on their way back to Brooklyn, “What kinds of foods do you like?”

“I’m not picky, but if I get a vote, it’ll almost always be for pizza...or coffee.”

“Coffee’s not a food.”

“Sure it is. Speaking of, is there no such thing as a coffee maker these days?”

“Sure there is. Steve and I just never felt the need to get one. We both make good money now, but we’re used to making coffee manually on the times we want it.”

“Well that’s gotta change. I can’t function enough in the mornings before coffee for that. First thing I gotta do is find a job to buy one.”

“If you want to work, you’ll need to exist first. We’ll ask Peggy if she can help with that. In the meantime, we’ll get you a coffee maker.”

“I’ll pay you back!” Clint promised.

“Did you see my car? Money really isn’t an issue, Clint. Besides, I’d be using it, too.”

“But I’m the only reason we’d be getting one.”

“Clint, it’s fine. You have plenty of things you can worry about buying for yourself. Let me just help get things started while waiting to be able to find yourself a job.”

“Right, I don’t own anything at all here…”

“Well, you do have some clothes now. That’s a start.” Bucky smiled.

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Clint go stiff. Thinking he’d said something Clint hadn’t liked, Bucky opened his mouth to apologize, only to instead let out a startled sound when Clint suddenly threw the door to the car open and jumped out as if they weren’t moving down the street.

Bucky breaked and hurried to pull over to park on the curb and get out himself, keeping an eye on the head of blond hair that was running back the way they had come before turning down an alley.

“Clint!” He ran after the omega, wondering what could have possibly possessed Clint to make him jump out of a moving car like that.

As he drew closer, he could hear shouting.

“—do you even know who I am?”

“I don’t care if you’re the devil himself; you’re not very intimidating, and I won’t let you hurt this dog!” Clint’s voice responded.

Bucky turned the corner to find Clint placing himself firmly between a large alpha holding a knife and a yellow lab that was clearly hurt. The alpha, Bucky was alarmed to notice, matched the mugshot of a criminal who had been in and out of jail many times, according to the paper. He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. How had he managed to pick up yet another cute blond that ran head-first into dangerous situations? And this situation involved a weapon. He had to be smart about getting involved before Clint got hurt...

“Omegas like you need to learn your place!”

Clint just rolled his eyes, “Right, barefoot and pregnant at home. Sure, I’ll tell my alpha to get right on putting me in my place.” he sneered with dripping sarcasm. “Now, I’m taking this dog, and you’re going to let me.”

“That mutt is getting what’s coming to it for getting in my way, and so are you!”

“Wow, you sound like a cheesy bad guy from a comic book.”

To Bucky’s horor, the man charged at Clint with the knife, and Clint twisted easily out of the way of the attack, bringing his elbow down hard onto where the man’s neck was attached to his shoulder. The man turned to make another attack and Clint did a backflip, landing up on a stack of crates.

“It’s over, Anakin, I have the high ground!”

“That’s not my name, omega.”

“Maybe not, but it’s a great reference.” Clint giggled. He was enjoying himself, clearly.

The man kicked the crates to knock them over, but Clint leapt up, grabbing a bar overhead that used to hold a sign and lifting himself up with the grace of a gymnast. The man chucked his knife up at Clint, who caught it and sent it back down at the man, landing it deep into his right shoulder before dropping down on top of him. “Don’t get up for a bit, yeah?” he said, patting the man’s cheek before straightening up and going over to pick up the dog.

Clint marched out, eyes locked on the dog as he muttered things of comfort.

“Clint.” 

The omega looked up, “Bucky! I uh...sorry. I just…” he looked back down at the dog before back up with a pleading look on his face.

The dog had no collar, but seemed to be friendly. Even hurt, it didn’t growl or bare its teeth. And with Clint looking at him like that, well...

Bucky sighed and nodded, “Okay...we’ll just have to figure out how to keep your dog away from Steve—he’s allergic.”

“Big Steve isn’t,” Clint said with a growing grin, “so we have time to figure it out!”

* * *

“You brought home a dog...already?” Steve asked when Bucky and Clint walked into the apartment, Clint carrying the dog, and Bucky carrying the items they had picked up for the dog after getting him checked over by a vet.

“I named him Lucky!” Clint announced happily as he lay Lucky down and started making sure the dog had a comfortable place to sleep.

“I’m not surprised, but how did this happen so fast? I thought you were taking Clint to work with you, Buck?”

Bucky shrugged, finding a good spot to store the dog food they had gotten, “That omega’s a crazy punk, just like you. Only he does it for dogs, apparently. I’m actually impressed. He took out an armed criminal like it was nothing just to save Lucky.”

Steve laughed, “Well, he  _ is _ an Avenger. We all have to be a little bit of a crazy punk in order to get into that line of work.

“The dick was kicking an innocent dog! He totally deserved more than what he got.” Clint insisted.

“You get hearing aids?” Steve asked, looking back over at Clint who was clearly not looking at them to read their lips.

“Newest Stark tech. Not allowed to talk too much about them. Not as good as what Tony had made for me, of course, but they are much more modern than you’d expect from the forties! It’s amazing how much faster things advance when brilliant minds are focused on helping people rather than making bigger scarier weapons all the time. Just imagine what kind of stuff this timeline’s version of Tony will be creating in seventy-eighty years from now.”

“Spoiled, how big is the box?” Steve asked, walking over to Clint.

“No box; rechargeable. Like I said, surprisingly modern. Say hi to Lucky! He’s a good boy!”

“I bet he’s actually the best boy, aren’t you, Lucky?” Steve grinned, reaching over to fondly pet the dog. 

Lucky licked at Steve’s fingers, and that—that did things to Clint, making him feel all soft and gooey inside.

Of course, the same thing had happened when Lucky licked Bucky’s face when Bucky helped get him into the car. So maybe it was just the Lucky factor. He was a cute dog.

“Clint,” Bucky called from the kitchenette, “do you know how to cook?”

“Nope, my skills are limited to reheating stuff. I can do dishes, though, if you’re trying to work me into the chore rotation.”

“Steve and I normally split cooking, though we don’t have set days. We just try to cook evenly between us. You okay with that continuing, big Steve?”

“Of course, Buck.”

“I’ll handle the dishes regardless of who cooks.” Clint offered.

“We also need to figure out a better sleeping situation.” Bucky said, moving to sit on the couch.

“I can just keep sleeping on the couch just fine most nights. It’s what I do usually, anyway. At least on the good nights.”

“Good nights?”

“The nights I sleep easy without any nightmares.”

“What do you do on the nights there are nightmares?” Bucky asked.

“Well, you know, uh…” Clint gestured vaguely at Steve.

“He doesn’t sleep at all unless his best friend Natasha drags him to her bed for a cuddle, or… well,” Steve made a nervous sound, “or I do...when Natasha’s not around.”

Clint rolled his eyes, “It’s been you more often than Nat lately, even after she was home from that mission.”

Bucky frowned, “Steve and I share a bedroom because he decided to turn his room into a small studio where he could work on days he wasn’t feeling good. We could move that stuff out to his actual studio and set the room up for you to use. That way on the nights you have nightmares, you don’t have to feel awkward trying to figure out what you want to do.”

“I don’t need my own room if Steve—”

Steve interrupted, “I certainly don’t mind the space being given to you, and I’m sure the other me would agree if we end up switching back. Besides, the other me is probably allergic to Lucky. It’d be good if Lucky stayed in your room when in the apartment if we switch back.”

Clint fell silent, looking down at Lucky.

He...didn’t want that. He didn’t want the two versions of Steve to switch back, and he knew it was incredibly selfish to hope that they wouldn't switch back, but he couldn’t help it. Steve was the only person he had left from the life he could never return to. Sure, Bucky was here, and this Bucky was just as sweet and amazing as his Bucky had been, but...it wasn’t the same. Just as the other Steve wouldn’t be the same. 

But it was all out of his control.

“You okay, Clint?” Steve asked.

Clint nodded and slumped over, resting his head on Steve’s shoulder, “Yeah, still just...processing things, I guess.”

Steve wrapped his arm around Clint, giving him a comforting squeeze, “Bucky told you you were stuck here, didn’t he?”

Clint nodded, “And that you might not be. It’s just...it’s kind of a lonely thought…” he admitted.

* * *

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

“Taking Lucky out for a walk?” Steve asked as Clint grabbed the leash that hung by the door and slipped his shoes and jacket on.

“Yup. Want to come?”

“I could use some fresh air.” Steve nodded, hopping up to get ready to go out and grab a sketch book and a few pencils.

“Going to sketch people in the park again?” Clint asked, clipping the leash onto Lucky’s collar.

“People, or trees, or the bridge...whatever happens to strike my fancy.”

They slipped out of the apartment, Steve locking the door behind them since Bucky was at work. It had been a few weeks since Steve and Clint suddenly found themselves in the alternate timeline, and they had started settling in. Steve didn’t touch much of the other Steve’s money if he could help it, setting aside money of his own to pull from that he got from selling art that he created, just in case they ended up swapping back. Though he had delivered the commission that Howard Stark had asked for and deposited that impressively large payment into Steve’s account for him. 

They had also moved the miniature studio into the large studio space Steve had down the street a ways, keeping only a few supplies in the main room of the apartment and allowing Clint to move into the spare room with Lucky. The dog often slept in the bed with Clint, which did help most nights with nightmares, but there were still some nights where that didn’t seem to be enough and he’d end up avoiding sleep again, not knowing what else to do. Sure, both Steve and Bucky offered to cuddle with him on nights like that, but he didn’t know who to ask. He felt torn and awkward about it to the point where he just gave up.

Peggy had also helped them out with some legal stuff, using her pull to get Clint documents so that he could easily live his life without restrictions, other than the restrictions society placed on omegas, that was. She had also given Steve some updated documentation that reflected his status as an alpha so that whenever he was out and needed to use his identification, he wouldn’t have to deal with the questions or looks caused by the documented claim he was a beta. Clint hadn’t found work yet, but he’d taken Peggy up on the offer to do her housework for her once a week for some pay until he managed to find a job. It allowed him to start up some savings and pay for something here or there when he felt the need to pick up something.

Lucky walked ahead, keeping the lead slack as he sniffed around the sidewalk for new scents on the now familiar route to the park. He had a small limp, but it didn’t seem to bother the dog, and the vet had said it was possible he’d have it for the rest of his life. Clint vowed never to forgive the jerk that had hurt his dog. Lucky also had a missing eye, but that had been an older injury that had already healed by the time Cint had crossed paths with the dog. It had been part of why Clint had named him Lucky.

“So how are you adjusting?” Steve asked, pulling Clint out of his thoughts.

The omega shrugged, “Fine, I guess. Peggy and I have plans later to go shopping.”

“Oh?”

Clint nodded, “She overheard Bucky asking me if I wanted to go dancing Friday and she insisted that I’d need something nicer to wear than my current wardrobe has to offer.”

“You’re going dancing? I wouldn’t have thought you’d be interested in that… You and Bucky never went dancing before.”

“Bucky never asked.” Clint shrugged, “Truthfully, I don’t know this kind of dancing so Bucky’s going to be teaching me. But I learn physical stuff like dance fast, and I do enjoy it. I know quite a few ballroom dances I had to learn for undercover missions with SHIELD, and Nat taught me ballet when we were bored and stranded for a few days waiting for evac to come pick us up after a mission out in the middle of nowhere.”

“Really? If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to watch you do ballet sometime. It’d be fun to sketch.”

“Sure! We’ll have to do it in the studio, though. Even if we move everything out of the way there wouldn’t be enough space in the apartment.

“That shouldn’t be a problem, there are no large paintings to worry about right now.”

They turned into the park and started wandering to find a place where Steve could sit and sketch while Clint played with Lucky.

Spotting a good open area with some benches nearby, Clint pulled out a leather ball he’d gotten for Lucky and let him off his leash before throwing the ball and watching Lucky take off after it. Dog toys were not a common thing, it seemed, so Clint had improvised, making a few toys out of rope for Lucky to play with at home, though the ball he had been able to find amongst childrens toys in a shop.

Lucky came bounding back to Clint with the ball, dropping it into his hand and barking happily as Clint pet him and praised him for being a good boy before throwing the ball again.

Steve chuckled, sitting down on a bench and opening his sketch book to a fresh page and starting to sketch Clint and Lucky. He smiled to himself as he captured the carefree joy of a man and his dog, spending too much time capturing Clint’s smile…

Okay, it was getting harder and harder to ignore his growing feelings for Clint. Maybe he should listen to Peggy and tell the omega how he feels…

No, no that would only hurt more if he ended up back in their original timeline without Clint. Staying just friends was better for them both.

Clint dropped himself down next to Steve, leaning back with a sigh as Lucky flopped down by their feet with his ball, panting happily.

“You two wear yourselves out?” Steve asked, closing his sketchbook and pocketing his pencil.

“Yup.” Clint nodded before turning his smile onto Steve. “You get any good sketches of—whatever?” he gestured around them.

Steve nodded with a small smile, “I got a few I like.”

“Good, that’s good…” Clint shifted forward, his fingers fiddling with Lucky’s leash, “So...how do you feel about all this?”

“What?”

“Being back in the past. Being here.” Clint shrugged.

“It’s...nice I guess. Simpler. There are things I miss from the future of course, but it is relaxing to just be an artist and not have to worry about all that comes with the title of Captain America.”

Clint nodded, “If you got to choose which timeline you got to stay in...which would you choose?”

Steve sat back to think about the question. He knew his answer. He’d want to stay wherever Clint was, but he couldn’t say that without giving away his feelings. But maybe he could avoid the main reason for his choice?

“It’d be incredibly selfish of me, but...I’d want to stay here.” he started slowly, too aware of Clint’s gaze on him, “I’d be taking over the other Steve’s life and abandoning my duty as Captain America, but I had always wanted to just sit back and enjoy a time of peace after the war, and that never happened. I’d miss the Avengers team, of course, but…”

“But you’re tired of losing people you’re closest to?” Clint guessed.

Steve glanced over at Clint who shrugged.

“You have never really gotten too close with the team. You were always friendly and supportive, of course, but you never really hung out with anyone other than Bucky outside team meetings, training sessions, and group dinners. We figured it was because you had suddenly been yanked out of time and thrust into the future where everyone you had known was gone, and you were afraid to open back up again. Then we lost Bucky and I donno...you got close to me, but I figure that’s because we both were hurting so much from losing Bucky. This timeline...it’s peaceful. Everyone has a normal job. It’s less likely to suddenly lose anyone you let in close. Right?”

Steve blinked at Clint before nodding, “Something like that… What about you? If you got to choose, what timeline would you prefer?”

Clint shrugged, “I also hate suddenly losing people...I just...I don’t want to be alone. Bucky’s here but not the same Bucky. And sure, he’s amazing and sweet, but here I’ve also lost Nat, and you might go back, and the other Steve is probably a great guy, too, but he isn’t  _ you-you _ , you know? So I don’t know…” He heaved a sigh and leaned over against Steve, “If you had asked sooner I would have said I’d like to go back, but when I found out I was stuck here, I started finding attachments. Lucky, Peggy, and even Bucky… It’s easy to see the differences between this Bucky and my Bucky, but I keep finding myself growing attached just the same. I wonder what my Bucky would think if he was witnessing all this…”

“I think Bucky would just want you to be happy.” Steve said, working to keep his emotion out of his voice, “Even if that happiness is with this other Bucky… And I think that if you can keep the two Buckys separate in your heart, it wouldn’t be any different than if you had found happiness with any other alpha.”

“Any other alpha, hu?”

“You deserve to be happy, Clint, and you can choose where you find that happiness.”

“What if I’m not sure where I want to look for happiness? What if I look in the wrong place?”

“You don’t only get one chance, Clint. You can keep trying until you do find it.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Clint admitted, fiddling with Lucky’s leash.

* * *

“How about this?” Peggy asked, grabbing a top from a rack and swinging it around to hold it up against Clint’s torso to get an idea of how it’d look on him.

Clint shrugged, “Treat me like a doll, dress me up how you think would look nice for dancing.”

“You must have  _ some  _ opinion.” she sighed.

“I’ve never really understood fashion. My approach to it is if it’s comfortable, I like it. Bonus points if it’s purple.”

“Alright, treating you as a doll it is.” Peggy said after a small pause as she stood studying him. “Alright, take these—and this—to one of the fitting rooms to try them on.” She shoved a selection of options at Clint to try.

Clint laughed, “You remind me of my friend Natasha. Strong, intimidating, and not afraid to take charge.”

“Did she dress you up like a doll, too?”

“Only every time it mattered what I looked like.”

“Oh, what have I gotten myself into?” she smiled, “Go on, now, get to a fitting room.”

Clint laughed and slipped into a fitting room to try on the clothing Peggy had pulled from the racks.

“Are you nervous about your date with Bucky?” Peggy asked while he was in the fitting room, stripping out of his clothes to test out the potential dancing outfits.

“It’s not a date.” Clint said.

“An alpha taking an omega out dancing… Darling, that’s a date.”

“No,” Clint shook his head as he pulled on a top, “We’re going as just friends. He’d going to teach me to dance.”

“You don’t know how to dance?”

“Not the kind of dance that is popular these days. Where I come from dancing isn’t really a big thing for most people. Date nights are more dinner and a movie type of thing, not going out dancing. But I can say that I learned some traditional ballroom dances as well as ballet. I think I’ll be able to pick up fast on what Bucky has to teach me—hey, I think I need a larger size on the powder blue top you grabbed. My arms are too muscular for these sleeves.”

Peggy hurried to get a larger size and passed it through the modesty curtain. “Do you not want this to be a date?”

Clint was quiet for a long moment as he tried on the larger size top, “I don’t know…” he admitted, “Normally I’d say yes, but...it’s so complicated.”

Peggy was thoughtful for a moment, “You think that letting yourself fall in love with him would be like replacing the Bucky you lost.”

“Steve says it isn’t any different than if I moved on with any other alpha, but I’m not so sure.” Clint admitted.

“And is there any other alpha?” Peggy asked.

Clint stepped out of the fitting room to show off the first outfit, his cheeks tinted pink.

“Did you ever date Steve?” Clint asked.

“Briefly, when I first moved to New York and met him. We went dancing a few times, but ultimately decided to be just friends, why?”

Clint shrugged as he fiddled with the frilly cuff of the shirt he was in, “Steve was in love with Peggy in our timeline. Everyone knows they had something of a romance budding, but he was lost to the ice before they could explore the relationship properly. By the time he was found and thawed out, she had lived her life without him, and I don’t think he ever got over that. He never seemed interested in trying to date anyone. If he ever did, I think it’d be you, but since you have an omega you’re seeing, he’s respecting that.”

“He’s the ‘any other alpha’ you have feelings for.” Peggy realized out loud. Steve hadn’t told Clint his feelings after all. Men had the worst communication.

Clint shrugged, “I didn’t mean to...he was just… He was there and hurting just as much over the loss of his best friend as I was over the loss of my alpha, and because of that I think it was easier for me to trust his words. He managed to coax me out of the depths of my depression, convinced me that moving on didn’t mean forgetting, and…” he sighed, looking up at her, “We started spending time with each other and before I realized it, I began to like him beyond just a friend, and… And those feelings aren’t fading or going away even now that we’re here and there’s Bucky who is tugging at my instincts. I just...I want them both but the Bucky thing is so complicated and Steve isn’t interested, and I’m so greedy and selfish and deserve to be alone.”

“Oh, Sweetheart…” Peggy cupped Clint’s cheeks and gently guided him to look at her, “No. You don’t deserve to be alone for how you feel about them. You need to talk to them both about how you feel. You may be surprised…”

Clint shook his head, “No alpha would be satisfied with an omega who has admitted they like more than one alpha. And Steve isn’t—”

“Steve is interested in dating, but he isn’t interested in dating  _ me _ , Clint. Believe it or not, we have spoken to each other about things. Communication is one of the most important things you can do right now.”

“But—” Clint’s protest was cut off by a loving glare that reminded him even more of Natasha, and he felt himself give in easily to that familiarity. He nodded, “Okay, I’ll try to talk to them.”

“Good boy, now, back to shopping…”

* * *

Clint made his way back up to the apartment he was sharing with Bucky and Steve, his hands full of the shopping. Peggy had insisted upon going overboard and had gotten him many outfits, insisting that it was good to have a decent wardrobe already so that he didn’t need to go shopping every time something came up. It was a good point that would save him from further shopping trips, at least for the time being, so he had agreed and allowed her to fill his closet before they paid and Peggy met up with her girlfriend, leaving Clint to get a cab home.

As he turned out of the stairwell and towards the apartment, Clint found a woman standing outside their door, knocking politely with a basket hanging from the crook of her arm.

“Can I help you?” he asked as he approached.

She turned and smiled. It was a nice, kind smile that seemed a little familiar, though Clint was certain he’d never seen her before. “Oh, I’m just hoping my son is home.”

That’s where it dawned on Clint why her smile seemed familiar, and why it wasn’t just her smile, but her silver-streaked golden hair and bright blue eyes as well. “You must be Mrs. Rogers, Steve’s mom! He realized out loud, “He really does take after you, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, the silly boy got my looks but his father’s bravery to a fault.” she chuckled, “Are you a new neighbor?”

“More like I’m his new roommate.” Clint smiled, pulling out his key which Bucky had gotten made for him, “I don’t know if Steve’s still out or not, but you’re welcome to wait for him.”

“A new roommate? Steven didn’t mention that he and James were getting a new roommate…”

“A lot has changed in a very short amount of time.” Clint shrugged, “I’ll let him explain everything to you.

He opened the door and let Steve’s mother inside. “Do you have dog allergies? If so, I’ll put Lucky in my room.”

She looked alarmed, “Steven’s living with a dog? I mean, he loves them, but he does have allergies.”

“Not right now. Like I said, a lot has changed.” Clint smiled over at his dog that was lazing on the floor next to the heat register, clearly still tired out and happy from their time in the park. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll just go drop off my things in my room.”

He started walking past her, and her eyes widened, “You’re an omega!”

“Yeah? Is that a problem?”

“You must be James’ omega! Oh, I’m so glad he’s finally found someone! I feared he’d let himself be a lone alpha his whole life! His sister would be pleased! Have you met her yet?”

“Uh, no, Bucky hasn’t introduced me to any family yet.” he said truthfully, “Things are a little complicated right now.”

“Complicated? How so? James—James is a good young man, so I can’t imagine—”

“It’s nothing like that.” Clint reassured, “It wasn’t a heat of the moment bonding or anything. It’s just...a long story.”

* * *

“Hey Stevie, what’re you working on?” Bucky grinned, walking into Steve’s studio.

Steve looked up and waved a paint-covered hand that was holding a brush, “Hi Buck, didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I was driving home and saw the lights were on. Figured I’d offer you a ride home.”

“Sure, if you don’t mind waiting a bit longer.” Steve said, looking back down at the canvas. “I want to get a little further on this tonight.”

“Is it a commission?”

Steve shook his head and motioned for Bucky to get closer if he wanted, “It’s for Clint. I had painted him a portrait of him and the other Bucky, which he really seemed to appreciate getting, but then we came here and he suddenly has nothing to remind him of the other Bucky. I’m hoping to finish this redo of it for him, and then paint one of the whole team so no matter what he’ll have something to remind him of the people he was forced to leave behind… I uh, I have a bunch of sketches and a note written to the other me explaining it and asking him to finish the projects should I be unable to. If he’s anything like me, then I think he would…”

“Of course he would. The two of you do have some differences apart from the obvious, but you both are still the same person. And right now he’s in your timeline, getting to know your friends. If he comes back, I’m sure he’d also like a visual reminder of them hanging somewhere in our apartment, and if Clint chooses to stay…”

“Then he’ll be able to view the painting of them just as Clint will be able to.” Steve nodded as he dipped his brush into the paint on his pallet and brought it up to place the pigment where it belonged on Clint’s smiling face. 

Bucky’s painted image was just as far along, and it was strange for Bucky to see himself with long hair and what was clearly some sort of prosthetic arm. However, it was the soft look in Steve’s eye as he worked on Clint that really caught his attention.

“You have feelings for Clint.”

Steve's eyes widened and snapped up to look at Bucky, “Wha—?”

“Don’t deny it. You may not be the Steve I grew up with, but you are still Steve and I know how to read you.”

Steve sighed and shook his head, “I won’t be a problem.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just want him to be happy, and I could be yanked away at any time. I’ve decided it’s best to keep my feelings to myself to save him from the hurt… Besides, he’s got you, and you’re taking him on a date.”

“I’m taking him out as just friends, Stevie. I’m not the Bucky he’s in love with, even if our instincts draw us towards each other because of the bonding mark on his neck. I’m letting him decide if we become something more.”

“But you do have feelings for him?” Steve asked.

Bucky nodded and let out a breath, “Yeah. I do. Instincts aside, he’s just—he’s an adorable disaster and I just want to bundle him up in my arms and make him feel loved and happy. But I won’t force that if he doesn’t want me to be the one to do that.”

“Peggy thinks I should tell him...how I feel...so he knows his options…”

“I think I’d agree with her.” Bucky said, “He’d know there’s the chance of losing you, but I think he deserves to know.”

“And does he deserve to know about how  _ you  _ feel?” Steve countered, waving his paint brush at Bucky.

Bucky was silent.

Steve sighed, “If I tell him, it’s only fair you do the same. So he knows that both of us are in his options if he returns the feelings.”

“If we tell him can we agree that it won’t change anything between us? No matter what he chooses? We stay friends?”

“Of course, Buck. I was already planning to sit back and be happy for you both if you two ended up together. I could never resent you,  _ any  _ version of you.” Steve insisted.

“I’ve always seen beta Steve as a younger brother,” Bucky said, “That will never change, and you’re definitely not like a brother to me, but I still do feel a strong platonic love for you. If the omega we both have feelings for chooses you, that won’t be enough to make me resent you.”

Steve nodded, “I feel the same. You aren’t the Bucky who I saw as a brother, but I do love you as well.”

“So, we’re agreed? We’ll sit down and confess to Clint in turn and then it’ll be in his hands. Neither, one, or the other, we both accept what he chooses.”

“Yes.” Steve was quiet as he painted some more before he spoke up again, “...What if he chooses us both?”

Bucky blinked, “Impossible.”

Steve shrugged, “There are people who have more than one partner, and I don’t mean in the adultery way. Plus Omegas can have two active bond marks at a time if it’s done right. It’s not super common in our timeline, but it is something that’s known. I don’t think Clint would go for it, but it’s not impossible, so maybe we should know where we stand on that.”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, thinking it over.

“Honestly, normally I’d say I couldn’t do it, but...if it was with you? I...I don’t think I’d mind so much. I don’t have any sexual or romantic feelings towards you, but the idea of sharing Clint with you is not as off putting as you’d think… How about you?”

“I honestly agree with that statement, plus I think it’d make me feel better if I do end up going back to the other timeline...you’d be there to help him through that loss. I’d know I could count on you to take care of him.”

“But what about you? You’d feel the loss just as much as him.”

Steve shrugged, “I’d manage somehow. But I doubt it’ll be an issue. I doubt he sees me as anything more than a friend.”

“I guess we’ll find out. When should we tell him?”

“Sometime after your date Friday. We wouldn’t want him to feel weird about the evening if he’s conflicted with our confessions.” Steve suggested.

Bucky nodded in agreement, “Alright.”

After finishing up the amount of painting he wanted to finish before heading home, Steve cleaned and put things away properly before locking up and getting into Bucky’s car. They headed back to their apartment and walked in together.

A feminine laugh greeted them when they opened the door; “Oh no, no, not like that. Goodness, that’d add so much time to making these if you tried to make each roll by hand like that! Here.”

Bucky and Steve moved to the kitchen, finding Sarah Rogers standing with Clint at the counter, backs to them as she showed him how to roll up the cinnamon coated dough into a log, and then cut it into individual rolls while Clint held a messy looking roll that looked like he had dipped a snake of dough into cinnamon and tried to roll it by hand. His cheeks were endearingly pink.

“I did warn you I have no idea how to do this kind of thing.” he said.

“And I did inform you that I’d teach you.”

Steve swallowed around a ball of emotions that started choking him up, “Mom?”

“Steven! About time you got—” she turned around with a smile which turned to shocked surprise, “When did you get so huge?”

“Mom.” Steve stepped forward, pulling her into a hug that was both firm and needy, but also gentle.

“Steven, why are you acting so silly, it’d only been a few weeks, silly boy.”

“Sorry,” he muttered into her hair, “But for me it’s been since 1936…”

“It’s a long story, and a lot has happened since your last visit, Mrs. Rogers.” Bucky said.

“That’s what Clint said—and how many times must I ask you to call me either ‘Mom’ or ‘Sarah’, James?” she said, swatting lightly in Bucky’s direction, “If dear Clint can do it after only just having met me, then you can after all these years!”

“Sorry, habit.” he smiled, kissing her temple before moving past the two Rogers into the kitchen, “I’ll help Clint finish this up and get it into the oven, why don’t you two go catch up?”

“You work on breaking the habit while making cinnamon rolls.” She shooed, “And you, Steven… Where do we even start to make this make sense? You’re huge, you’re an alpha, you act like you haven't seen me for years, you’re living with a dog which you should be allergic to…”

“I guess we can start with the fact I’m not the same Steve…” Steve said as he guided her over to the couch.

“Think Sarah will take everything well enough?” Clint asked Bucky as he set the roll he’d made into the cake pan that had already been greased and floured.

Bucky got out a knife and started cutting the log into more rolls for Clint to place in the pan, “I think it’ll take a bit to sink in, but once it does she’ll be okay. Though she’ll miss beta Steve if she never gets to see him again, and if she does...then she’ll miss alpha Steve.”

“You think so?”

“Mrs. Rogers—”

“Sarah.”

“... _ Sarah _ is a very loving mother, and she’s quick to adopt people into a family position. The fact that she’s teaching you to make her infamous cinnamon rolls is proof that she’s already adopted you as a son, and well, alpha Steve is her own flesh and blood just as much as beta Steve is. There is zero chance of her not already seeing him as her baby boy. She’s probably thinking of both Steves as something like twins.”

“Twins with the same name.” Clint laughed.

“We’ll have to see if she continues to call alpha Steve ‘Steven’ or if she’ll shorten it to Steve or Stevie.”

“Or skip to middle-naming it.”

“Oh, that’d be funny to hear. I grew up only hearing her call out ‘Grant’ when Stevie’s in hot water.” Bucky laughed.

“At least that’s a decent middle name.”

“Buchanan?”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t thinking of your middle name! I was thinking of mine!”

“Ah, and what is yours?” Bucky asked, amused.

“Francis.” Clint cringed.

“I don’t think that’s so bad. Kind of cute, actually.”

“If you start calling me Francis, then I’ll swap out the sugar with salt so your coffee tastes gross!”

“Firmly noted.” Bucky placed the rolls into the oven and set the timer before he moved to the sink and dampened a cloth. He then turned to Clint and used it to clean some flour off Clint’s face.

“Hey!” Clint protested, swatting at Bucky’s hand. “I’m not a kid!”

Bucky laughed, “You have flour on your face like a kid.”

“You could have told me!”

“And miss the opportunity to see your face turn pink?”

“Uhg, why are alphas like this?”

Bucky shrugged, “Instincts.”

Clint chuckled and swatted at Bucky again before taking the damp cloth to start cleaning off the counter of flour and any other spilled baking ingredient, while Bucky collected the dishes to wash.

* * *

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey Steve, is Bucky ready?” Clint asked, walking out of his room and finding Steve curled up by the window with his sketchbook and Lucky laying next to him with his head on Steve’s leg.

Steve looked up and smiled, “You look nice. Very ‘vintage omega’.”

Clint rolled his eyes, “All things considered, this is the height of modern fashion! That’s what Peggy said, anyway.”

Chuckling, Steve nodded, “Bucky should be out soon.”

“Looking all ‘vintage alpha’?”

“Bucky’s native to this time period, it’s the height of modern fashion!” Steve teased.

“You’re an asshole, Cap.”

“Oh, sorry, did I give you the impression otherwise?”

Clint walked over to flick his finger at Steve’s ear, making him laugh. Clint then knelt down to pet Lucky. “Hey there, Luck, you going to make sure this asshole behaves while I’m gone? Make sure he feeds you your dinner and gives you all the snuggles and pets your little heart desires?”

Lucky licked Clint’s nose.

“Lucky and I will have a good time together tonight.” Steve said, petting Lucky. “You ready for your evening on the dance floor?”

Clint shrugged, “Little nervous, I guess.”

‘Nervous? The Amazing Hawkeye?”

“Hey, I get nervous sometimes!”

“Why are you nervous?”

“Nothing big, I just… I’ve managed to live here this long without displaying what a disaster I can be, you know? And I know that this Bucky will find out eventually, but what if it happens tonight while he’s teaching me to dance where there are others around to judge and he’s embarrassed?”

“Aw, no, Clint… Bucky would never be embarrassed of you.”

“He could! It’s one thing to be a human dumpster fire in the future, it’s another to be one in the past when everything is so prim and proper!” Clint protested.

Steve shook his head, “You are most definitely a disaster. You’re clumsy and a mess, you often speak before you think and you’re so unashamed of it, but...no time period is as prim and proper as the lenses of history suggest. Besides, all those things that make you a disaster is just one of the reasons why you’re so lovable.”

“But—”

Steve reached out to press a finger over Clint’s lips, “Just because you’re a human disaster doesn’t mean you aren’t also full of grace. I’ve watched you go from stumbling around the kitchen spilling coffee on yourself as you shove dry cereal into your mouth to only moments later flying across the rooftops with your bow, taking out aliens with perfect aim and poise. Because, Clint, when you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you transform. Lazing around living a normal life you tend to be clumsy, but once you pick up archery, acrobatics, and I’m willing to bet  _ dance _ , you’re anything but clumsy. It’s beautiful to watch, and tonight I’m sure everyone will be envious of that beauty.”

Clint stared at Steve. Steve thought he was beautiful and graceful… 

Clint had never wanted to pitch himself forward to kiss the blond alpha more than in that moment. There had been other times where he’d caught himself wanting to kiss Steve, but right now…now was like a need that he had to hold himself back from following through on.

Because it wasn’t just Steve he got such urges for. He’d also been getting them for Bucky, and it wasn’t right to string both alphas along, to put ideas in their heads should they also feel something… Clint refused to be the kind of omega who would cheat or make alphas compete for his hand.

Besides, sometimes Steve would say things that seemed like he was pushing Clint towards choosing Bucky. Steve probably wasn’t interested, and Clint was just looking too deep into what was simply kindness and support.

So, he pulled himself back away from where he was leaning in too close to Steve, petting Lucky on the head as he did so.

“I uh...thanks, Steve.” he said.

Steve nodded with a small smile, “Go show him how graceful you can be, twinkle-toes.”

“Ready to go, Clint?” Bucky asked, walking out of the alphas’ shared bedroom while fixing his cuff.

“Yup! Let's just hope I put on my twinkle-toes and not my two left feet!” Clint said.

Bucky laughed, “See you later, Stevie.”

“You two planning on eating out, or should I include you when I make my own dinner to share with Lucky?”

“We’ll eat when we get home. I think the first time we take Clint out to eat, it should be all three of us.”

Steve nodded, “Making enough food to share it is. Don’t stay out too late, fancy-feet.”

“Don’t wait up for us, sleepyhead.” Bucky countered.

“Don’t miss me too much, Luck!” Clint grinned, and Lucky woofed.

Clint and Bucky left the apartment and walked to Bucky’s car.

“I can’t believe the other Bucky never took you dancing.” Bucky said as they pulled out onto the road.

Clint shrugged, “You two are very similar but...also very different.”

“How so?”

“Well,” Clint looked over at Bucky, considering how he wanted to answer, “You’re just so...soft.”

“I’m...soft?”

“Yeah. You’re just so...untouched by the dark side of life. My other Bucky wasn’t so lucky, and he came out very rough around the edges. When I first met him, he wasn’t even a shadow of what he used to be—what you  _ are _ . He had a very hard time with trust and letting people get too close. He even kept Steve at a distance for a long time.”

“Really? How did you fall in love if things were like that?”

Clint shrugged, “After some time we struck up a bit of a friendship. I’d woken up from nightmares and went to the community room to get a change of scenery and try to fall asleep to watching reruns of Dog Cops—best TV show ever and one big thing I’ll miss. Anyway, so I go there and find the TV is already on and Bucky was sitting there like a stone gargoyle, watching a marathon of Chopped episodes—uh, that’s a cooking competition show. So I joined him on one of the other couches—give him his space to be grumpy and murderous-looking or whatever, and after a few episodes he asked me why I was up. I was too worn out from the nightmare that I answered honestly instead of skirting the issue like I normally would have. He was shocked by the realization of what my nightmares at that time mostly consisted of, and we just kind of...bonded over shared trauma. We were able to turn to each other when it got bad, knowing that the other would understand and not just pretend to like the rest of the team… Eventually he began to open up to the others and after that he and I started turning into something more. We bonded quickly after that and became the disgustingly lovey-dovey couple of the team.”

“I see…” Bucky was quiet as he turned the information over in his mind, “...Would it be rude to ask about that shared trauma?”

Clint shrugged, “Mind controlled by evil bad guys.” he said simply. Bucky gasped. 

“Bucky had been brainwashed and turned into a weapon-assassin by an organization called Hydra. They kept him frozen unless he was needed, and he spent the better part of a century being used and controlled before he started breaking through the conditioning and escaped them to try and regain his memories and piece himself back together. Stop being a weapon and start being his own person.”

“Fucking shit…” Bucky muttered, “And you could understand how he felt about that kind of thing?”

Clint gave a grim nod, looking out the window. “For me it was only for a few days before Nat hit me over the head hard and broke whatever space magic had ahold of my mind, but a guy from another galaxy named Loki showed up and poked me with this septer thing...took control of my mind and forced me to give him secrets to help his plot as well as turn my weapons onto friends and co-workers.” He sighed and looked back over at Bucky, “It’s hard to deal with, especially if you remember everything you had done. Everyone around me kept saying how it wasn’t  _ me _ . It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t  _ my  _ actions. That the lives I took were not blood on my hands. And sure, the logical part of me knew that, but the emotional part of me?” he shook his head, “It’s a guilt that can never truly be shaked. And along with that comes the fear that maybe I’m not back fully in control, that Loki could show up and tell me to jump, and I’ll jump without a thought. Or that he’ll just come back and use the scepter thing again. And that was just from a few days. Bucky had over a lifetime of it built up.”

“Do you still have nightmares about it?” Bucky asked gently after a long pause.

Clint shrugged, “Sometimes, but mostly my nightmares are forcing me to relive the day I lost Bucky. Loki nightmares had faded back to the same level of the nightmares that came before it.”

“Before? There are more memories that haunting?” 

“Yeah...my life’s not been kind from the start. My father’s only love was the bottom of a bottle, and he was scary enough without one in his hand. Then after that ended with both parents gone, my brother and I found a new life for ourselves where I was betrayed and left for dead. Then I was alone for a long time until I met Nat and then Phil, and then joined the Avengers team, only to have Loki happen and then losing Bucky. Then there are the smaller stuff sprinkled throughout. Kidnapping, monsters, mutant animals, alien invasions, injuries...it all kind of adds up, you know? And it never really goes away.”

Bucky clenched his jaw and drove on until there was a safe spot for him to pull over and park before he turned to pull Clint into a warm embrace. “Sorry, I just...don’t like the thought of you living through all that…” he muttered.

Clint squeezed his eyes shut, “That’s...what my other Bucky said when I told him…”

“Why did you tell me?”

Clint shrugged, “I’m tired and lost the people who knew...guess I just don’t want to hold it all in like I had before I met Nat and then Bucky… and I...I guess I trust you.”

“You haven't even told Steve?” Bucky loosened his embrace to allow Clint to pull back a bit.

The omega shook his head, “I was starting to think about it a little before he and I ended up here. I mean, he was helping to settle me with my Bucky nightmares so I’d trust him with the others as well…”

“Have you had nightmares since coming here? You haven't really gone to him...or me.”

Clint shook his head, “I have had the nightmares, but I didn’t know if being here would change things so I just went back to keeping it all in…”

“Is that the reason for the three cups of coffee every morning before you seem to function properly?”

“Ah? Oh, no, no, that’s the case regardless of dreams or nightmares! Coffee’s the best!”

“Well, if you ever need us—either of us—we’re there for you.”

“Even Steve?”

“Especially Steve. I know he wouldn’t just stop wanting to be there for you just because you’re both in a different timeline than before. You aren’t alone, Clint.”

Clint blushed and nodded as yet again, he found himself fighting off the urge to close the distance between them for a kiss. “I’ll try to remember that next time. We...we should get back on the road...don’t want to miss out on dancing.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t deprive you of the good time I promised.” Bucky gave Clint’s hand a squeeze before going back to driving.

* * *

Clint slipped out of the car and stretched with a yawn before he locked and closed the door again, looking over at Bucky, “People really do this every weekend? Aren’t their legs jelly? I mean, I’m a really fit guy and I’m ready to flop over onto the nearest soft surface to let my body be angry at me!”

“Yeah, it’s a fun pastime.” Bucky said while coming around the car. “It’s like any athlete practicing, the more you do it, the more you can tolerate doing.”

“Ah, but it’s nothing like balet or fancy ballroom dancing,I thought I’d be fine on stamina, but nope!” Clint leaned over, draping his arm across Bucky’s shoulders, “It’s been so long since I last had jelly legs from something other than sex.” 

Okay, maybe Clint had a few drinks that night. He wasn’t drunk by any means, but his tongue was looser than normal.

Bucky turned a bit red, but he laughed nonetheless. "Sounds like I'll have to take you dancing more often."

“That’d be nice. But I also want to still take you out some time when I get a bow and show off my skills for you.” he said as they mounted the steps to go up to their apartment.

"I'm still not convinced you're as good as you say you are. There's no way you never miss."

“I never miss! Ask Steve! Oh! He can show off his frisbee skills to you. Normally he uses a shield, but his one of a kind Captain America shield isn’t something we’re going to find just anywhere around here you know? He always wins at frisbee golf.”

"Sure, I don't think anyone but Mr. Stark would have something like that. Because there's no need for someone to carry around a giant metal frisbee...Whatever that is."

“Flying disk toy. Aw, it’s probably not invented yet is it? Eh, we’ll find something for him I guess. Maybe a wooden plate or something? Metal? Something not breakable.” Clint looked up at Bucky, “You know...I’m really glad you’re here. I think the idea of being stuck here alone without anyone I know would be overwhelming.’

“I couldn’t let you go through this alone.” Bucky said softly. “Even if I'm not the same Bucky you got marked by, I can’t help but keep you safe and happy. It’s… just what I’m supposed to do.”

Clint nodded, his hair tickling against Bucky’s cheek as he did so, “Losing people is the worst…”

“Yeah…” Sighing, Bucky opened up the door to the apartment, the smell of food cooking wafting their way as they entered.

“Oh, that smells so good! Hey Cap! How come your food never smelled this good when it was your night at the tower to provide the community dinner?”

“Well, I’ve got my mom’s recipes now, so I guess I’ve got better ideas now thanks to her being around. And welcome back you two.” Steve greeted, calling out from the kitchen.

“Mama’s boy. Called it! Nat owes me ten bucks and a pizza! She had you pegged for a daddy’s boy.”

“You had a bet going on something like that?”

“Sure, Nat and I have bets going on pretty much all our friends. It’s like a profiling challenge to keep our super spy skills up.”

“You ever had any bets on the other timeline Bucky?” Bucky asked as he took off his shoes near the door.

“No, we never considered the possibility of there being other timeline copies of us all. Or some of us, at least.” Clint shrugged, “And after Bucky and I got together and bonded he was off limits for a bet because it was obvious I’d know a ton more things than any basic spy profiling would pick up.”

“I guess that’s fair. Plus I’m sure you didn’t like anyone talking bad about your alpha, of course.”

“Of course not! The press was bad enough, and Steve said I wasn't allowed to punch reporters who poked their noses where they don’t belong. Something about protecting the image of the Avengers or something.”

“Oh come on, Stevie, not even a little deck to the face?” Bucky smirked, knowing full well that Steve himself probably itched to punch some reporters.

“It’s not very polite when the reporters are just doing their jobs.” Steve defended, though it wasn’t a very strong defence claim. “And like I said, we needed to keep the good public image of the Avengers.”

“Tony’s lucky. He got to punch one, once… Though that reporter did turn out to be a villain undercover as a reporter. Had planned to blow up the whole Stark Expo.” Clint said, going over to the stove to peek into what was cooking.

“I definitely think you could punch a reporter if they irritate you enough.” Bucky said, joining the other two at the stove. “They’re kinda annoying anyways.”

“I find that statement surprising coming from you. Sounds more like the other Bucky.” Steve said, “So how was the dancing? Have fun?”

“Yup! But these forties dances use more energy than I would have guessed. The...what was it, the loopy loo?”

Bucky laughed and shook his head, “Lindy hop.”

“Yeah, that. And the Jitterbug, which is one I had heard of before, both are very fast.”

“Not used to moving that fast for fun, huh?” Steve laughed.

“You know how lazy I am when I’m not training or out hero-ing. Plus I hadn’t done much of that stuff in a while so yeah, not used to moving that fast. Somehow didn’t fall on my face, though.” 

“Well, I’m proud of you for managing to stay on your feet, then.”

Clint grinned and moved to show off some of the dancing he’d learned, only to trip over himself during a turn and finding himself stumbling back into Steve.

“Oops.” he blushed.

“Woah, easy! I got you,” the alpha said while catching Clint. He had a nice pink dusting on his own cheeks, but he played it off cooly. “Maybe you only have good dance skills on the dance floor,” he joked.

“Or maybe I’m tired?” Clint grinned, “Is the food almost done?”

“Yeah, just needs to cook a couple more minutes.” Steve pushed Clint back onto his feet before he checked on dinner.

“Good. Bucky and I’ll set the table, I guess.” Clint said, opening the cupboard to get the needed dishes out.

“Good idea, it’ll just be the three of us, Mom left earlier after giving me her recipes.”

Grabbing some plates out of the cabinet, Bucky turned to Clint. “Here, I’ll get the silverware.”

“Right-o.” Clint saluted before taking the plates and napkins over to the table.

“So, uh, Buck, we...planning on telling him tonight?” Steve asked, lowering his voice so that only Bucky would hear him.

“I think I would like to.” Bucky responded, nodding. “I think the sooner he knows, the better, even if you leave soon. If you don’t tell him your side, it’s going to be painful for the both of you.”

“It’d be painful if I do and he chooses me, too.” Steve sighed out his biggest fear for the situation, “But alright, we’ll tell him over dinner.”

“Let’s just hope you don’t suddenly switch in the middle of confessing.” Bucky pat Steve’s shoulder before grabbing the silverware needed and heading to the dining table.

Steve went doe-eyed as he looked over at Bucky, “Don’t suggest that! Fate might just steal the idea and take it seriously!”

"Relax, it hasn't happened yet and it's been a while. I don't think it'll happen that soon."

“You never know. I’m sure Stark already has it all figured out but hasn’t told the other me yet because he’s enjoying being the one in charge of the team, but as soon as they need me to fight he’ll conveniently bring the device of sorts out.”

"Who knows, maybe you're stuck here with us. Stark would be happy to be the new team leader, I'm sure."

“Oh, I’m sure, too. We butt heads too often, and he’s supposed to be the secondary leader.” Steve pulled on oven mitts and picked up the finished food after turning off the stove. “Okay, let's go join our omega.”

Bucky smiled confidently and moved out of the kitchen with Steve. “Hope you’re hungry.” he said to Clint once they were at the table. “Looks like Steve made a lot of food for us.”

“Just another reason why Steve’s amazing.” Cint grinned, slipping into the chair he had claimed as his at the table.

Steve turned a pinkish red as he set the food down and lifted the lid.

“He willingly cooks a full meal for his friends and family, there’s hardly anything you can’t like about him.” Bucky smirked while passing out silverware, taking his place at the table once he had done so.

“He also looks like a kicked puppy when he’s sad. Makes you want to just snuggle the crap out of him, doesn’t it?” Clint grinned.

“It always has. Though I’d say it was easier for me to snuggle him when he was smaller.”

“I prefer to do the snuggling rather than be the snuggle-ee.” Steve sighed, failing to calm his red cheeks as he dished everything out. “By the way, Clint, Lucky already ate and went out to potty before I put him in your room for the night.”

“Good, I’ll have my snuggle buddy already in my bed, I’m sure!”

“You could have an extra one, you know,” Bucky brought up cautiously.

Clint blinked as he looked over at Bucky, “You mean when I have nightmares? We already talked about that in the car. I know it’s okay for me to knock on your door for one of you to snuggle me after a nightmare…”

“Sure, but…we actually wanted to talk to you about that. Though I guess I didn’t expect this to come up in the dinner conversation so early.”

“Cuddle rules? That’s fine. Probably the same unspoken rules I have with Nat, right? PJ pants on before I seek out cuddles.”

“Clint, we wanted to…tell you some things.” Bucky leaned towards Clint. “Well, I guess what I have to say is easier to tell, but… to put it simply, your charm has been rubbing off on me. I guess the other timeline Bucky wouldn’t be too bothered by this, but I’m convinced this isn’t just a timeline thing anymore.”

“Timeline thing?” Clint asked, not quite sure what Bucky was saying.

"When you first came here I was obviously attracted to you because other timeline Bucky was, and we're connected in a way because of that. I thought it was just that, me wanting to protect you more than normal because you're other Bucky's mate. But now I'm realizing that the attraction is genuine." Bucky flushed a little. "I like you a lot, Clint."

Clint’s eyes widened, “Oh…”

“And if you return those feelings, you of course have my blessing, bu—”

“No shovel talk this time?” Clint teased Steve.

Steve laughed and shook his head, “You were so good for Bucky, and a loyal mate. Back then I didn’t know you that well so I was looking out for my brother. Plus this Bucky doesn’t have a brotherly relationship with me, so it’s fine without any shovel talk. But before you make up your mind on if you want to be with this Bucky...I...I just also want you to know that over the time since we started getting closer I also… I’m also falling in love with you, Clint, and I know there’s a chance that I might not always be here with you, but you deserve to know at least.”

Clint was looking at Steve with even wider eyes. Slowly, he sucked in a very deep breath and flopped forward, his head on the table next to his plate, “What the fuck even is my love life?” he muttered to himself, “Are my aids glitching out or is this really happening right now?”

Bucky looked worried. "This is real, we both like you. I know this must be hard to come to terms with…"

“But I like you too! Both of you! And that’s not fair to you two that I can’t choose.”

"Well," Steve spoke up. "no one says you have to choose…"

“Of course I do! I don’t cheat!” Clint pouted.

"It wouldn't be cheating if we're okay with you choosing both of us." Bucky pointed out. "We've talked, and we agreed that we'd be okay with you deciding you want both of us."

“You’d both agree to that?” Clint asked, looking between the two alphas. “Really? You wouldn’t get jealous of each other?”

“Clint, we’ve not been getting jealous at all for weeks. You have gone on small dates with the both of us individually and we’ve both been fine and supportive of it.”

“Dates?”

“Dancing tonight was an obvious one.” Bucky pointed out.

“All our walks in the park.” Steve added.

“The truth is, Stevie and I have already talked to each other about accepting whatever you choose, be that Steve, myself, neither or both. We don’t have a romantic or sexual love for each other, but we are close enough to share a love.”

“It’ll take a lot of communication between the three of us, but we can make it work. Besides, now even if I am taken away from you, you’ll have Bucky to help you through it.”

“But no one would be there for you…”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take if you’ll accept my feelings, Clint.”

Clint chewed on the inside of his cheek as he rolled the information over in his mind, “...If we do this...how would heats work? Alphas get very territorial over their omega’s heat…”

“We’d take turns, of course. One will help you through a bout while the other readies the aftercare. Then switch for the next bout, unless you want us both at the same time, of course.” Bucky said.

“But—”

“Clint, the territorial thing only comes about with the mating marks. If you have both of our marks, then all three of us will scent right together and we won’t have an issue with each other. Come on, I know you know about Poly relationships.” Steve insisted.

“Sure, but I have no idea how it’s done and it’s not like we can just Google it.”

“I know how it’s done if it’s something you want to do.” Steve said.

“You do?  _ You _ ? Captain apple pie and wholesome goodness himself?” Clint asked.

“You know as well as anyone that the press likes to spin narratives about all of us heroes. My internet search history would destroy what they’ve built up about me.” Steve winked.

“....Oh my god, you watch porn?”

“Did you forget I also draw it?” he teased. “Secret private sketchbook and all that. Point is, I know how to make a three-way bond with two alphas and one omega if or when you’re ready to do so. If your heat comes before then, then, Bucky and I will figure something out if you want one of us to help you through it that won’t get our instincts going against each other.”

“Do you need some time to think things over?” Bucky asked, “There’s no rush at all. We just wanted you to know how we feel.”

Clint swallowed and looked up, “Kiss me? Both of you?” It was a test to see if he could really be so selfish as to have two amazing alphas at once, but it was also the one touch he’d been holding himself back from so many times when he was with them.

"Of course." Bucky got up and moved closer to Clint. He leaned down until he was able to reach the blond's lips for a kiss.

Steve also got up and stood nearby until Bucky's kiss was done.

Clint sucked in a breath as Bucky leaned in, pressing their lips firmly together and even going as far as to tip the chair back a bit, his strong hands holding it away from toppling over as their lips moved against each other. Kissing Bucky was familiar yet different than kissing the first Bucky he had fallen in love with. He smelled the same, sounded the same, his lips fit against his the same… But the first Bucky had kissed him with a restrained power hidden in his passion, treating Clint as a precious treasure he didn’t want to accidentally break. This Bucky kissed with confidence, not holding back, even as he still managed to make Clint feel precious to him.

As Bucky pulled back, Clint didn’t have the time to process more before Steve was there, pulling him up into another kiss. His kiss held an undertone of shyness, but certainty. Overly gentle yet still passionate and loving. When Steve pulled back, he doubled in to also press a kiss to Cint’s forehead with a smile, brushing Clint’s hair out of his face, “Finish eating now, Sweetheart, the three of us will cuddle and kiss more after.”

Clint nodded, unable to help the flush in his cheeks or the squeak in his voice, “Yes, alphas.”

"I think we might have overwhelmed him." Bucky said while sitting back down, chuckling lightly.

“Nah, he was like this the first time his other Bucky kissed him.”

“How’d you know?” Clint asked, looking at Steve.

Steve smiled, “You two were at the range. Not exactly private. Nat and I walked in on you two and decided to go back later once we found you two kissing and professing feelings.”

“Oh my god, you and Nat saw that?”

“Yup.”

“No wonder neither of you seemed surprised when we announced our relationship…”

"They respected the confession, though, and I'm sure the other Bucky was grateful for that," Bucky said. 

“He was nervous as to how Steve would react. Steve had been mother-henning him a lot back then.” Clint agreed, stretching his leg out to rest his foot against Steve’s as he gathered food on his fork.

“I couldn’t really help it.” Steve said. “Bucky was readjusting to life, I didn’t want him feeling like he didn’t belong.”

“He appreciated it, even if it pissed him off sometimes.” Clint said.

“He was a different man after getting away from Hydra… But I’m glad he didn’t die under their control…”

“Hey,” Clint took Steve’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “you are the reason he got out of there. You helped him escape. Him recognizing you is what started the slow return of his memories. You were his personal hero, and he never forgot that.”

“I know. I’m happy for the time we got after rescuing him.” Steve looked over at the Bucky sitting at the table. “At least we still have Bucky around in some form.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m here,” Bucky said with a nod.

“Just be yourself.” Clint said, setting his fork down to take Bucky’s hand, “I like that you’re your own person. It helps me love you for you and not feel like you’re just a replacement for the Bucky I lost. I don’t want to replace him. He’s special, but so are you.”

Bucky smiled warmly at Clint. It was good to have confirmation that he wasn't just a replacement Bucky trying to live up to a version of himself that he had never been. “We’ve got a special connection between timelines now, I think that makes all of us special, including you.” 

“Me? Nah, I’m still just a circus brat who somehow got lucky in romance.” he smiled.

“Yeah well you’re a cute circus brat.”

“I have to agree on this one.” Steve chimed in.

Clint stuck his tongue out at them both before shoving a large bite into his mouth.

“Yup, you’re adorable, Babydoll.” Bucky smiled, leaning over to kiss Clint’s bulging cheek.

The three finished eating and cleaned up before changing into their pajamas and settled in on the couch together. Clint was the first one ready, dragging one of his softer blankets out of his bedroom, and followed by a happy but sleepy Lucky who just wanted to be close to his person. Clint curled up in the middle of the couch with his blanket to wait for his alphas.

His alphas…

He was so selfish clinging to two. He felt like he should feel guilty, but they accepted his selfish desire to love them both. They said it was alright, that they wanted him to be so selfishly happy with both of them.

Clint smiled to himself and flopped over to pet Lucky who had curled up at the end of the couch.

It was a testament to how relaxed he’d gotten in his new life to be utterly surprised when strong arms suddenly slipped around him, lifting him up easily over the back of the couch. He yelped in surprise, finding himself in Steve’s arms by the time he registered what had happened.

“For a deadly silent super spy assassin, you make quite adorable sounds when taken by surprise.” Steve teased.

“I didn’t hear you! My aids probably need a charge!” Clint protested.

“Uh-hu.” Steve walked around the couch and sat down next to a laughing Bucky, settling the blanket-wrapped omega between them. 

Bucky leaned in and slipped his arms around Clint as well. “Comfortable?”

“Yes alpha.” Clint practically purred as he was snuggled in between the two alphas he had feelings for.

“Good.” Bucky pressed a little kiss to his lips, and then his temple. “But we do need to discuss how we’re going to make this work. Rules and such.”

“But we can still cuddle and kiss while doing all that, right?” Clint asked.

“Of course, Sweetheart.” Steve said, touching Clint’s chin to turn him his way so that he could plant a small kiss onto his lips.

“Okay, first rule...I think we should try to keep solo dates as equal as possible.” Bucky started, nuzzling Clint’s hair fondly, “Obviously life happens, work and unexpected events, but let's try to avoid just one of us getting far more solo dates with our omega than the other each month.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Steve agreed.

“What about group dates? Will I get to go out with both of you?

“Of course. We’ll try to plan at least one a month. Steve said, and Bucky agreed.

“Sex?” Clint asked.

“We try and keep that even as well.” Steve said

“I’m also not opposed to group sessions if that’s something you’re both interested in.” Bucky added.

“I am open to that as well.” Steve agreed, “And we’ll figure out what to do with your heat before your next. Whenever it is.”

“It’s due to come in about two and a half weeks, actually. Assuming that jumping timelines didn’t mess with my cycle.”

Steve nodded, “Before it happens we’ll be sure to figure out how we want to handle it. If you want to do it alone or with one or both… and if both how we do that depending on if we’ve all been marked as bonded mates. But for now we do have some less fun things to discuss.”

“Less fun?” Clint asked.

“Communication. We all three need to communicate properly and not sit on our emotions. We need to be open about it all. This won’t work if we bottle things up so they never get addressed. And I’d say we are all guilty of bottling things up. I’ve bottled my feelings for you up since a few weeks before we were sent here.” Steve said, giving his example.

“I’ve also kept in my feelings for you and had to be convinced to confess, just as Stevie had to be convinced.”

Clint slumped his shoulders, “Yeah, okay, and I didn’t say anything for so long, either. I only did after you two did. If you hadn’t, who knows how long we would have been dancing around this…”

“We’ll discuss anything that any of us feel needs to be discussed all together just like now.” Bucky said.

“We could make a nice cuddle session out of it? Soft pajamas and blankets with some snacks while we bring up the...whatever it is at the time?” Clint suggested.

“That sounds like a nice way to help us relax, even if the topic may not be.” Steve nodded. “No matter what, one of us needs reassurance or is feeling neglected or distant… soft cuddle time would probably help keeping the discussion calm and collected as we listen and discuss.”

“It’ll take work to remember to bring things up, but you’re right. It’ll be needed if we plan to succeed at this three-way relationship.” Clint agreed.

“I’m sure we can do it. And we can remind each other.” Bucky added.

* * *

“Steve!” Clint walked into the kitchen where Steve was sitting at the dining table with his sketchbook.

“Need something, Sweetheart?”

“Bucky brought home a new book, he said he’ll read it out loud to me. I’m just wondering of you want to come hang out with us. You can doodle your porn or whatever, I’d just like it if you were with us.”

Steve flushed, “I’m not drawing porn, silly omega.” he said as he closed his sketchbook and gathered his pencils, “Where are we doing this?”

“My room. It has the biggest bed and I built a nest for us all to snuggle in while Bucky grabbed a quick shower to get work off him. Lucky’s already curled up and waiting for us.”

Steve slipped an arm around Cint as they moved to Clint’s room, finding Bucky already waiting with damp hair and a lap full of Lucky.

“Hey there, Buck, I heard you are initiating story time.”

“I sure am.” Bucky smiled, holding up a copy of  _ Space Cadet _ . “Get comfortable, punk, we’re going to space!”

“Sci-fi. I should have known.” Clint chuckled, climbing into the nest and waiting for Steve to get comfortable before he sprawled out so that he was both comfortable and snuggled in some way with both alphas and his dog.

“You ever read this one before, future boy?” Bucky asked.

“Nah, I'm not the best at reading. I'm too slow at it to have fun reading a book. My mind would always get distracted by other things. But other Bucky was super into sci-fi and science fantasy. He had that book in his collection. He would read out loud to me sometimes, but we normally just watched his movies and shows instead.”

“Well, then it’ll be a new story for you, too.” Bucky smiled as he opened the book and started reading, his low voice soothing as he formed each word that painted the world and characters.

A chapter and a half into the book, Bucky paused to take a long sip of water.

“Everyone still comfortable? Bucky, you need Lucky to move so you can get feeling back into your legs?” Clint asked, stretching a bit.

“It would be nice to stretch them out a little.” Bucky nodded.

“Okay, come on Lucky, I know you find Bucky super comfy, but he needs to stretch out a bit.” Clint said, coaxing his dog off Bucky’s lap.

Bucky stretched out his legs and got up to shake them out with a satisfied groan before turning to smile at the other two, “While I’m up is there anyth—Stevie? You okay?”

Steve looked a little pale, and like he was in slight pain.

“Steve?” Clint frowned, turning his attention away from Lucky.

Steve shrugged, “Slight headache.”

“Oh, I can grab you something for that. Your mom makes sure beta Steve has something for his migraines. I guess you still have those, hu?” Bucky offered.

Clint shook his head worriedly, moving closer to Steve to press his hand to the alpha’s forehead, “Steve doesn’t get sick or suffer headaches. His super serum has healing properties that takes care of that before it starts. If he has a headache it’s because of something big like he used his head to break his fall from a building or something.”

“I’ll still go get the bottle of pills. No reason to let him suffer.” Bucky said, turning towards the door. That’s when Steve’s scent in the air suddenly dulled, the same way it had suddenly sharpened when alpha Steve and Clint took beta Steve’s place. Bucky sucked in a breath and spun around. “Steve—!”

The room filled with a blink and you’d miss it greenish-yellow light and suddenly Steve was sitting there swimming in clothes far too large for his small frame, his cheek still cradled in Clint’s palm.

Clint swallowed, slowly pulling back as he realized his Steve had been ripped away from him already.

“You must be Clint.” Steve smiled, “I’ve heard a ton about you. Oh! And Natasha said she’ll kick your ass for worrying her if you aren’t dead.”

“And—and you must be beta Steve… Um… Welcome home, I… Sorry. Come on, Luck, let’s go for a walk.” Clint scampered out of the nest, coaxing Lucky to come with him.

“Clint, it’s late…” Bucky said, reaching out to hold onto Clint’s defined arms.

Cint shook his head, “I just...I need to get some fresh air. Go ahead and catch up, I’ll be back.”

“Don’t go too far.” Bucky sighed, kissing his forehead before letting him go to grab his coat, shoes, and Lucky’s leash.

“Sorry, he doesn’t mean to come off as rude, he just…” Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair before moving to sit on the edge of the nest and pull Steve into a hug. “I missed you, Punk.”

Steve returned the hug, patting Bucky on the back, “I understand. The alpha version of me was his only link to everything he knew. Tony and Bruce had theorized that Clint would be trapped here. They had hoped not, but…”

“We guessed the same thing, and he’s already started settling in. Uh, we turned your home studio into his room, I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t want to stick him on the couch like an unexpected guest for so long, and it wasn’t really proper to put an omega into a bedroom with two alphas.”

“That’s fine, of course it is. Once we figured out what had happened I figured this would happen on this side of things. You’re too nice to throw the guy out. With only—um, was he naked? His stuff was all in my lap when I appeared where the gigantic version of me had been…”

“Yeah, he was completely naked. Wore a sheet for a while until I got him some clothes. Stark gave him a pair of his newest hearing aids, as well. Peggy’s taken him shopping for more clothes and it seems they have a pretty good start to a friendship going.”

“Well, Peggy is a similar woman to his best friend, Natasha. Same sort of energy. He probably finds her to be familiar even if they have only just met.” Steve shrugged, “So, what’s with the dog?”

“Clint loves dogs and beat up a known gang member to save Lucky and then he adopted him after taking him to a vet to be looked over. He’ll keep Lucky in his own room so he doesn’t set off your allergies.”

“He’s fine, I’m not going to make him get rid of his dog, besides, my allergy to dogs isn't that bad. It’s only when they are up in my face that I start sneezing.”

“Well, good thing Lucky’s a good boy and doesn’t jump up on people. Though he does like to curl up in our laps sometimes. So, how’s the future, time traveler?”

“Golly gosh, Bucky, you would love it there! It’s a world straight out of one of your science fiction stories you love so much! I met a guy who can turn into a giant green monster-person called Hulk, and a man who isn’t even from earth! He looks human but he can control lightning. And they have treatments and medications for all my ailments!”

“Did you meet my boss’ future son? What’s he like?” Bucky asked as they moved to their shared room so Steve could change into clothing that fit.

Steve’s cheeks darkened to red, “Yeah, I met Tony. It’s hard not to notice Tony. He’s loud and flashy and smart and…handsome.” Steve practically gushed.

Bucky blinked and looked down at Steve, “Is that a hint of infatuation I sense?”

Steve blushed harder, the redness creeping up into his ears, “he’s amazing, Buck…”

Bucky gave a sad smile, “Why’d you come back? Seems you had a better quality of life and someone special there.

“Because it isn’t just my choice!” Steve said as he buttoned up his shirt and tucked it into his pants. “The other me deserves to have a say in all this, too. Besides, I would like to actually say goodbye this time if I do go back.”

“If you do?”

“Tony’s planning to ask the other me if he’d switch with me. I understand if he wouldn’t want to, but if he agrees, we’ll be swapped again. Not right away. The device needs a cooldown and recharge period of at least a day to be safe to use again, but that gives both of us Steves to get our affairs in order. I want to see my mom, for sure. Does she know about the switch?”

“Yes, she visited us a few times, so if you tell her the truth, she’ll understand.”

Steve nodded, “I guess the only question now is whether or not the other me would agree to us switching timelines more permanently…”

“I think he will.” Bucky nodded, “Clint’s here.”

Steve raised an eyebrow at Bucky, “Aren’t you courting him? You kissed him earlier and he had been…”

“Mated to the other me before he died, I know.” Bucky nodded, sitting down on the edge of his bed, “And I am courting Clint, but so is alpha Steve. The three of us are working to build a strong foundation for our relationship.”

“Oh, that’s...surprising.” Steve said, “It isn’t awkward?”

“No, alpha Steve isn’t the Stevie that I grew up with and see as a little brother.” Bucky smiled, flicking Steve’s nose, “Our relationship is completely different from the one I have with you.”

“So that’s why you all were hanging out in Clint’s nest? I didn’t interrupt anything did I?”

Bucky laughed, “Nah, I had been reading a new book out loud while Steve sketched and Clint sprawled out over us with his dog. I had just gotten up to stretch my legs a bit when you swapped in.”

“Oh good. I would have felt bad if Clint was touching my face like that because he was about to kiss the other me to start...you know…”

“We were waiting for when Clint felt ready. He wants to, but the first time we tried he backed out because he wasn’t sure how creating a new bond with me would affect his broken bond with the other me. He doesn’t want to lose that reminder of his first mate should it just be reactivated with me instead of creating a new one. And apparently he can’t just look it up on...goggles? Whatever that is in order to know what to expect, though he knows that our situation wouldn’t be exactly the same as what the goggles would know.”

Steve laughed, “You mean Google. It’s a search tool for the internet which is like a library of information on an unbelievable scale. You can find just about anything from a device people keep in their pockets! You can also use it to communicate with people anywhere in the world or watch movies. Bunch of stuff. I get a bit lost with it all but Tony’s always been wonderful in helping me navigate it. Or JARVIS if Tony’s unavailable.”

“Who’s Jarvis?” Bucky asked, wondering if alpha Steve or Clint had mentioned someone by that name.

“He’s an AI. Artificial Intelligence. Tony created him.”

“A robot?”

“No, though Tony has built robots too! JARVIS is so much more, and he doesn’t really have a body that I know of. He’s...hard to explain. Tony’s better at it.”

“I see…”

“Anyway! We should probably find Clint and let him know that Steve’s going to come back so he doesn’t get lost in himself again as Natasha puts it. Then tomorrow morning I think I’ll go see my mom and maybe Peggy if she’s around and not off on a business trip. It’s interesting that it’s evening in this timeline when it was afternoon in the other. But come to think of it, when I left here it was evening and I appeared there in the afternoon as well… Maybe Bruce will have some theories on that.”

“Maybe that’s just how our timelines parallel each other. It doesn’t match up hour by hour but is askew, making them a few decades and a few hours ahead of us.” Bucky suggested.

“Maybe” Steve pulled on his coat and shoes, “Come on, let’s find your omega.”

* * *

Clint heaved a sigh as he repeatedly kicked a stone along the sidewalk, his hands shoved in his coat pocket, one clutching the end of Lucky’s leash. Beside him, Lucky bounced around, sniffing things and occasionally getting the leash tangled around Clint’s legs. Clint hardly noticed, even as he would twirl around to quickly detangle his legs from the leash as he stayed lost in thought.

He was only jerked out of his own mind when Lucky stopped walking next to him and the leash tugged taunt. Clint looked back to see Lucky had stopped next to a lamp post to lift a leg.

“Sorry, boy, didn’t realize you stopped.” he apologized and backed up a step so the leash was slack again. He sighed and looked up at the sky, “I knew there was a good chance this would happen...I just had hoped we’d have more time together, you know? Fuck.” he tried to blink back the tears that were stinging his eyes, “I don’t even have his mark for comfort because I’m apparently a damn coward. I mean, I have Bucky still, but…”

He sighed again and looked back down at Lucky who had finished his business and was nosing into his hip in an attempt to comfort. He reached down and scratched behind the dog’s ears, “It’s been a fair amount of time...think we should head back home? See if Bucky will cuddle with us tonight and apologize to Steve for rushing out? I think I may have come off as a bit rude…”

Lucky licked Clint’s wrist and wagged his tail.

Clint let out a small laugh and crouched down to hug his dog, “Thanks, Lucky. You’re always such a good boy. Always here to comfort me. You’re the best.”

Lucky licked at his face before turning his head suddenly. It was then that Clint finally became aware of the faint tapping of footsteps approaching, and by the way Lucky stiffened defensively with a little growl, Cint knew the sound wasn’t coming from anyone he knew...or just any stranger. Lucky loved people. He never reacted like this to just anyone.

“I thought that mutt looked familiar.” a voice practically smirked with dark amusement “And here I thought you might be hard to find again.

Clint stood up and turned around to look at the men who had approached him. There were five of them, and with a quick glance around he spotted the likelihood of at least three more in hiding. One of the men was familiar and it didn’t take Clint long to remember the man’s face as the alpha he’d saved Lucky from.

“Sorry, I don’t think I know you. I’m new around here.”

“Don’t play stupid, punk!”

“What the fuck,  _ this _ is the guy who kicked your ass and stabbed you with your own knife?” one of the guy’s companions asked, “This guy’s an  _ omega _ .”

“He’s not a normal omega! He’s tricky and needs a good lesson on how to act like a good omega!”

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that. Come on, Lucky, we’re going home.”

“I don’t think so.” one of the guys hissed.

“You really don’t want to mess with me, or my dog. Especially if you want to go on in blissful ignorance thinking that omegas can’t beat your pathetic alpha asses.”

“Running away already, omega?”

Clint flipped them off, “You’re not worth the energy of starting shit. I’m retired after all.”

“The mouth on you. Seems someone needs to teach you what it’s for.”

Clint twisted to the side suddenly, stranger’s hands missing in their attempt to grab hold of Clint’s coat. “Okay now you’re getting grabby and I don’t like that.” he sent a sharp elbow back into the face of the guy who had tried to grab him.

“Fucking bitch!” The guy cursed.

Clint twisted around and used his leg to sweep the man’s feet out from under him. He went down, but before Clint could make sure he was out, the others were on top of him and a fight couldn’t be avoided.

It was fine, Clint was used to being outnumbered and still coming out on top. Though he was a bit rusty and he took more hits than he normally would have. But bruises would heal, as would his split lip he assumed he had after tasting blood. It didn’t stop him from being hard for the group to take down.

Lucky was barking, and the men were sneering about teaching him his place as the scuffle continued. Clint didn’t pay their words much mind. He just wanted to end it and get Lucky back home safe.

He felt the heated sting before he registered the three loud bangs of a gun. Clint stumbled back, a hand flying to clutch at his shoulder that was already soaking through with blood. All he could think was that he was glad the man who had pulled a gun had horrible aim. One of the bullets had pinged off the lamp post behind Clint, another had taken out the tire of a parked car across the street, and one, while it had hit  _ him _ , wasn’t a kill shot. It still shocked him, though, and it was the most pain he’s felt physically in a long time. His shock was enough to give the men the upper hand and the air left him as he was slammed down.

* * *

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

“Excuse me, officer?” Bucky called out to a police officer who was patrolling the area.

“Yes? Do you need help with something?”

Bucky and Steve walked over to him, “Have you seen a male omega with blond hair and a dog walk this way? He stepped out to walk the dog a while ago while I caught up with my friend here who just got back from a trip. He should have stayed nearby, but I’m unsure which direction he could have gone.”

“Is he yours?” the officer asked.

“Yes, he and I are together. It’s been a while and I’m starting to worry.”

“Well, I haven't seen an omega with a dog tonight, but I have heard a dog barking. I figured it was just barking at things through a window. It was coming from this direction.” The officer said, leading the way back towards the sound of barking.

The barking was loud and aggressive, putting Bucky and Steve both on high alert if it was Lucky, and not some other dog.

“That doesn’t sound like a dog just barking at traffic through a window or anything like that.” Steve spoke up.

“No, it seems more aggressive now than it had before.” the officer agreed, “Maybe I should—”

He was cut off by the sound of gunshots.

The three of them moved without further word, running towards the sound of the dog.

Ahead they found the scuffle, five large men surrounding Clint who was pressed back into the brick wall, Lucky growling with his teeth buried deep into the leg of one of the men who was holding a gun and pointing it at the dog. Luckily, the gun seemed to be out as there were no further shots fired.

“Hands on your heads and drop your weapons!” the officer shouted, his hand moving to his own weapon.

Like pigeons startled by a car on the road, the men scattered, leaving behind Clint, Lucky, and the one man being held in place by Lucky.

“Clint!” Bucky ran forward to help Clint up, “You’re—”

“I’m okay, Bucky.”

“You’re bleeding! There were gunshots!”

“It just grazed me. It’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t get infected.”

“Omega, I’m worried about you. Please just let me take care of you. Steve would do the same.”

Clint nodded and leaned into Bucky, clutching his shoulder to put pressure on the bleeding.

Steve was standing back a ways, holding Lucky’s leash as the dog seemed to have calmed down while the officer placed the one man remaining under arrest. Unfortunately, the officer was alone so the men who had bolted were walking free for the time being. Bucky spoke to the officer, making sure they were good to go and that he didn’t need anything more from them before he tucked Clint into his side and led the way back to their apartment.

“I’ll go get the first aid kit!” Steve said once they were back in their apartment, “Should I call mom?”

“You know she’ll be upset if she finds out we didn’t call her.” Bucky said, guiding Clint to sit down on the couch and moving to start helping Clint out of his jacket and shirt.

Bucky’s breath caught when he saw the damage hidden under the smear of blood. “That’s not just a graze, Barton.”

“Sure it is, it’s just a deep one. Trust me, I’ve had way worse.”

“God, you’re such a disaster.” Bucky said, gently cupping Clint’s face as Steve brought over the first aid kit, a cloth, and bowl of warm water for Bucky to get things started while he hurried to call Sarah.

“In my defence I did try to just walk away this time. Those jackasses wouldn’t let me. I guess when they realized I wasn’t going to be easy to take down they pulled out a gun.” Clint said, trying not to flinch too much as Bucky carefully worked at cleaning his wound.

“Jeeze, Stevie’s never going to let me have you alone to myself again when he finds out…” Bucky joked.

Clint tilted his head, “What?”

“Alpha Steve is going to be coming back.” Bucky said, “Beta Steve fell in love with Tony Stark, apparently, and wants to live in your original timeline with him, but he felt that alpha Steve had a say in it as that would leave him here with us. The only way to communicate all this, of course, was to swap them back. We’ll have alpha Steve back before too long because I know he’ll agree to swap back with beta Steve. Both Steves will have enough time to say goodbye to the important people and whatever, but alpha Steve will be back to hold you close soon.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Clint slumped forward, resting his head on Bucky’s shoulder.

Bucky smiled, “Yeah...I’ll be happy to have him back, too.”

“What about beta Steve? He’s the Artoo to your Threepio…”

“I don't get that reference.” Bucky smiled, “But I know he’s happy and healthy there, even if I won't be around to bail him out of trouble.”

* * *

“Clint, dear, if you pop a stitch again I won’t be nice putting it back in!” Sarah scolded lovingly as she sat across from him, sipping tea.

Clint paused mid-reach for the bowl of popcorn that was sitting on the coffee table, “But…”

“Reach with your other arm, dear.” she insisted.

“Here.” Steve reached over to grab the bowl and hand it to Clint, “Trust me, it’s easier to listen to Mom when you are hurt or sick. Just take it easy until you’re all healed up. Let Bucky and the other me spoil you.” he winked.

“Ah-hah...and are you going to let Stark spoil you?”

Steve went red, “If he lets me drag him out of his lab to get proper sleep or sit him down to eat proper then he can spoil me all he wants.”

Clint chuckled, “I don’t know how you managed it.”

“He thinks I’m cuter than the other me.”

“The other you and Tony Stark have always butted heads. Always argue. We were pretty sure that they were about to start a war a couple of times.”

“Well, Tony’s a lot to handle sometimes, so I could see it. I didn’t get along with him at first all that well, either.’ Steve admitted.

“I only regret that I can’t meet this young man of yours.” Sarah spoke up.

“Sorry, Mom, I’d take you to meet him if I could, but…”

“I know, dear. This is a very strange situation, but as long as you’re happy and taken care of, I support your choice. Now come here and give me a good hug, It should be happening any minute now, right?”

“Yeah, so long as everything’s going according to plan on that side of things.” Steve said, moving to hug his mother.

Steve was looking extra small as he hugged her, wearing alpha Steve’s clothes so that when he appeared, Steve wouldn’t be ripping seams or feeling uncomfortable. The difference in size between the two Steves was startling to Clint when he actually took the time to compare. Unlike the Buckys who had been harder in the start to separate as their own persons, the two Steves were hard to think of as being the same. They seemed more like brothers than two versions of the same man. It really allowed Clint to realize and appreciate just how much the serum had changed Steve.

Clint was so lost in his thoughts as he mindlessly munched on popcorn, he didn’t notice exactly when the change started.

Steve’s posture had slumped and he cradled his head a bit while Sarah looked worried.

“It’s happening.” Bucky said, sitting down next to Clint, which is what pulled the omega out of his thoughts, “I was there to witness both of the previous Steve-swaps. The Steve on this side of things starts to feel off, then his scent changes to reflect the other’s secondary gender, and then there is a flash of strange light and we have the other Steve.”

Steve gave a little nod, “Guess this is my last chance to say goodbye. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too Steven.” Sarah said, kissing his cheek. “No matter what, I want you to find happiness.”

Steve’s scent twisted sharper like an alpha’s.

“Bucky, take care of Clint.” he nodded, “Clint, it was nice to meet the omega that is able to make Bucky smile so gently. Keep him on his toes for me.”

Clint laughed, “Easier done than said, Stevie.”

“I’ll miss you, punk.” Bucky smiled, just as the room filled with that now familiar light. When it faded, alpha Steve was sitting next to his mother, his arms wrapped around the nude body of a familiar redhead.

“Nat!” Clint gasped, standing up.

“O-Oh my…” Sarah gasped.

Steve gave a small guilty smile, “She was rather insistent that I bring her with me. Said she wanted to live in the right timeline to keep an eye on your disastrous self.”

“She looks small enough to fit okay in beta Steve’s clothes, I’ll go grab her something.” Bucky said, hurrying to grab them for her.

She was unconscious, just as Clint had been when he had come through with Steve, so Clint just reached out to brush the hair from her cheek, “I love you too, Nat, I missed you so much…”

“Who is she?” Sarah asked.

“Natasha.”Clint shrugged, “My best friend—basically my sister. We’ve been through a ton together and trust each other more than anything.”

Bucky came back with some clothes and Clint and Sarah worked together to quickly dress Natasha, then Steve moved her in to lay on Clint’s bed until she woke up.

“Well, if it’s anything like Clint, she won’t be up for a few hours.” Steve said as he returned.

“Come here, I missed you, too, you know.” Clint said.

Steve smiled, “I also missed you, omega.” he reached out to pull Clint into a hug before frowning, “What happened?” he very gently brushed his thumb over a bruise on Clint’s cheek.

Clint shrugged, “Not much.”

“Liar.” Bucky huffed, “He was attacked while he was walking Lucky. He was shot.”

“What? Clint!” Steve gasped, “How do you manage these things even in a timeline when we aren’t superheroes or secret agents?!”

“I don’t know, talent? It just grazed my shoulder, it’s fine.”

“What are we going to do with you, omega?” Steve sighed, unable to hide a small, amused smile as he carefully pulled Clint into a hug.

“He’ll be fine so long as he stops overreaching and popping his stitches. I’ve redone them three times already.” Sarah spoke up.

“I’m sure Bucky and I will find a way to stop him from doing that again before he’s healed up.” Steve said. “Plus we have Natasha to help us. She can get him to listen to anything.”

“Only because she’s scary and I know what she’ll do if I don’t listen!”

“And that’s why you should listen to us before we get her in on you about it.” Steve smirked.

“Fiiiine…” Clint sighed.

“Good to hear it.” Sarah said. “Now, come walk me to the door, boys, and send me off properly.”

Steve, Clint and Bucky walked her to the door and each gave her a hug before she left.

“Welcome home, dear.” Sarah said when Steve hugged her. “I’m glad I’ll be able to keep one of you Stevens in my life.”

“You’ll probably see the other me again. I suggested that I switch back with him for a day or so once or twice a year so he can visit you and Bucky. Around New Years should be the first time if he also wishes to do that.”

“Thank you.” she whispered, kissing his cheek before pulling back and nodding with her last goodbyes for the night and then the three alone once more.

Well, as alone as they could be with having Nat asleep in Clint’s room.

Clint spun around, latching into Steve, “I was so scared I lost you and didn't even have your mark to keep!”

Steve relaxed, wrapping his arms around the omega, “Sorry, though I did some research for us while I was in the other timeline.”

“Research?”

“Mm-hmm, about this.” Steve pushed Clint’s shirt collar down to tap lightly at Bucky’s old mark, “It’s not exactly the same situation, of course, but I went on a forum where people who are in different types of polyamorous relationships chat about that kind of thing. Asked about what happens when a second alpha gets added to an already existing mated pair.”

“Really? What did they say?”

Steve smiled, “They said the omega ends up with two claiming marks from the original alpha, so I don’t think you’ll lose your first mark’s significance with it being linked up to  _ our _ Bucky rather than your Bucky.”

Clint bounced on the balls of his feet, looking between his two alphas as excitement fluttered in his stomach, “Want to test this?”

“Now?” Bucky asked as Steve said “Tonight?” at the same time.

“I’m up to it if you both are! The thought of losing the mark as only my other Bucky’s was the only thing holding me back from baring my neck to the both of you.”

“Natasha’s still here, you know.”

“And she’s out like a log, just like I was when I came here, right? Besides, if she wakes up sooner and hears us she’ll only tease us until she gets bored.” Clint reached over, taking Bucky’s hand to pull him closer, “Plus it’s been so long since I’ve had any fun in bed…”

Bucky could smell the small change in Clint’s scent, that undertone of need that damn near took his breath away the moment he detected it. His hand closed tighter around the blond’s as he stepped closer, and then his arms were around Clint’s waist, picking up the omega and tossing him onto his shoulder. “We need to fix that.” Bucky said while heading towards the bedroom shared by the alphas.

With wide eyes, Steve followed behind closely, also detecting that change of Clint’s scent. As much as his alpha instincts told him to grab Clint, he knew Bucky probably needed to be more prominent in that moment, considering Clint and Bucky were closely connected via the bite from the other Bucky. Clint was so good at dividing his love and attention equally between them, but they were stepping into an activity that prompted instincts more than usual. Until Steve also had a mark on Clint’s neck, Clint would probably lean a little more towards Bucky in times like this.

And they were about to fix that.

Clint grinned, reaching down to grab Bucky’s ass as he was carried, “Giving me a nice view here.” he purred, only to yip in surprise as he was tossed onto one of the beds in the room.

“I’ve got a better view of you.” Bucky crooned out while looking down at the omega. “You have no idea how absolutely stunning you are, even banged up.”

“Mmm...” Clint eyed up Bucky and Steve who were both standing over him, “Nah, you two make a very attractive picture standing over me like that.” he shot back as his fingers moved to fumble with the buttons of his shirt, knowing he had to be careful when taking it off so he wouldn’t upset his stitches, which would likely cause his alphas to put on the breaks until he was fully healed, and he  _ didn’t  _ want to wait that long.

Bucky was quick to strip down while Clint did the same, just at a much slower pace. The brunet's shirt was tossed to the floor, and his hands went immediately to Clint’s pants to unfasten them.

Meanwhile, Steve also stripped off his shirt, but he moved to the door of the bedroom and closed it, since he had decidedly been too distracted moments earlier to do so.

Clint dropped his shirt off the edge of the bed before pushing his pants and underwear down to his knees in one go, then he kicked them the rest of the way off, his socks going with them. He sat on the bed wearing only his aids and the bandages Sarah had wrapped around his shoulder to help protect his stitches.

“You aren’t trying to run away, are you Steve?” the omega asked, spotting Steve by the door.

“Of course not, omega.” Steve reassured, heading back to the bed after the door was closed. “There’s no way I’d miss this moment with you.”

“Good. I want you both this first time.” Clint said, pushing himself up on his knees to get closer to Steve’s height, though he still fell short as the bed was lower to the floor than the one in his own room, and he pulled Steve down into a kiss. “And if we plan to claim each other as mates, we do need to all be here.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, we’re both staying until our marks are on your neck.” Bucky purred, a finger trailing down Clint’s torso. 

Clint shivered, “Keep touching me and I’ll get wet for you.” Clint smiled at Bucky as he tugged at the button of Steve’s pants.

“I’ll touch you as much as you want, Babydoll.” Bucky hummed while dragging his finger up Clint’s stomach.

“You want my pants gone, too?” Steve asked while the one tugged at his pants.

“Yeah! I mean, I know I’ve seen you naked before in the post-gross-mission-showers, but that was way before I got the lover’s permission to touch! Plus you’re the only one not yet naked in here.” Clint moved to tug the pants down a bit, “Plus I never paid attention to how big you are. I am kind of curious to see before I go sitting on your knot...I wonder if I can sit on both at the same time…”

“I don't think you’ll be able to do that.” the blond alpha said while unfastening his pants and shoving them off.

Clint pouted, “That’s sad...pretty sure my heat-induced self would have loved the idea.”

“Even when in heat I doubt you’d be able to handle two knots locked inside you at the same time.” Bucky soothed, kissing his shoulder, “But you know, our knots only swell up when we’re in rut, which only happens when we’re exposed to heat pheromones, so there’s nothing stopping you from taking both our cocks at once this time if that is something you want to try working up to.”

“Please!” Clint breathed out, leaning back against Bucky.

"Maybe we'll try working up to it then, omega." Steve crooned after he was fully rid of any clothing on his body.

“Slowly, we don’t want to hurt you, of course.” the other alpha added.

“I’m greedy, you two said I can be greedy with you, I want you both, I don’t care if it hurts.”

“We care.” Steve said, “And we’ll make it good for you, we don’t want to hurt you.”

Bucky chuckled, “What are we going to do with you?”

“Fuck me and call me pretty?” Clint grinned.

“Oh we'll do that plenty of times, omega.” the brunet promised with a smile. “But slowly. We wouldn’t want to break you so early in our relationship.”

“You’d be surprised at how much I can take and never break, dear alpha. Come on, I promise if it’s too much I’ll say so.”

“You’re not going to let up on this unless we agree to try it, are you?” Steve asked.

“Nope! This is my first time with both of you, and I want  _ both _ of you.”

“Well… I suppose if you insist. We can try filling you up with our cocks.” Bucky smirked and tapped Clint's nose before leaving down and leaving a small kiss on the mark left by the other dimension Bucky.

Clint smiled and hummed, turning around to face Bucky, “Yay!” He wiggled and started to trail light little kisses down from Bucky’s shoulder, over his pecks and across his abs until he reached the cock that stood erect and ready. He licked his lips before sliding them around the blushing head and down along the shaft with a hum.

Bucky's eye slid shut as he tipped his head back,a low groan getting past his lips. “You really know your way around an alpha cock.” he commented.

“Especially yours. Lot’s of practice.” Clint muttered when he slid back off to speak before going back down to continue sucking him off, his tongue sliding along the sensitive underside with practiced familiarity. He may have found how to separate his two Buckys as their own person in his mind and heart, but he was sure that their bodies were the same and shared the same sweet spots for pleasure. Clint admittedly wanted to press all those buttons to impress this Bucky. Though Steve would be a wholly new experience he’d have to take time to explore.

“What a view…” Steve hummed, his hand sliding along Clint’s spine in appreciation, “Never thought I’d enjoy watching my omega sucking his other alpha off…”

Bucky gave a small smirk at Steve, “I’ll just look forward to when he gets his lips around yours, then.”

“In the meantime…” Steve shifted down, pressing three kisses to Clint’s lower back before moving even lower, his hands parting Clint’s cheeks before leaning into the space with a hum.

Clint sucked in a surprised breath. Steve— _ Captain America _ —was  _ eating him out _ . Tongue swirling around his rim and dipping inside to lap up the slick that was undoubtedly leaking.

“This okay?” Bucky asked, placing a hand on Clint’s head and allowing him enough space to look up at him, “Blink three times fast if it’s not.”

Steve slowed down, waiting for the answer.

Clint only gave one slow blink as he hummed and went back to worshiping Bucky’s cock.

Bucky chuckled, “Seems he’s more than okay with this.”

Steve hummed and smiled as he got back to worshiping Clint’s ass, causing Clint to moan around Bucky’s cock, sending vibrations through it.

A trembling gasp left Bucky’s mouth, his grip on Clint’s hair tightening slightly while he almost struggled to keep his own hips still. Any surprise movement on his part might disturb what Steve was doing, and Bucky didn’t want that. He wanted Clint to enjoy what was being done to him, not be suddenly rocked backwards because Bucky couldn’t keep himself still.

“I think I can imagine with great detail how good you must have made the other Bucky feel.” he managed to say. “Your mouth can do plenty more than sass people.”

Clint hummed louder, taking Bucky in all the way to the hilt and pausing there before easing back again.

Steve chuckled, “I think he’s still sassing you, Buck.” he said, pulling back and replacing his mouth with his fingers, working to stretch Clint out so he’d be ready for one of them.

“I’m not surprised, though he still looks good sassing his alphas like this.” Bucky smirked down at Clint. “Our sassy omega, bold enough to fight off a pack of alphas while simply taking the dog on a walk.”

“Yeah, you ended up with two troublesome punks, it seems.” Steve grinned, pumping his fingers in and out of Clint more and enjoying every little sound he was able to draw out of the omega.

“I can handle two punks. I love watching over them while they cause trouble, even if I have to pull them out of the trouble they cause.”

“Which one of us should go first? Clint’s loosening up surprisingly quickly...though maybe it’s normal? I’m...new to all this.”

“Not to be greedy, but maybe I need to go first, since the other Bucky was Clint’s alpha. It could help his body accept your bite as well.”

Steve nodded, using his free hand to rub Clint’s back, “What do you think, Sweetheart?”

Clint came off Bucky with a moan as he rolled over to look up at both of them, his pupils blown wide and his face stained pink If his scent hadn’t been normal with just a hint of arousal, Steve might have thought Clint was in heat. But he wasn’t; just incredibly horney. 

“Yes.” Clint gasped out.

“Yes what?” Steve pressed. “Yes to Bucky going first or me or..?”

“Please!” Clint moaned.

Steve chuckled, “Don’t care as long as it’s us, hu?” he brushed his hand over Clint’s flushed cheek.

“Well let’s not waste any time then.” the brunet said excitedly. “We’ve got an extremely horny omega to take care of.”

Nodding, Steve guided Clint to lean back against his torso, the blond alpha’s arms wrapping around the omega’s chest lightly while Bucky shifted onto his knees. The brunet stroked himself a couple times after scooping up some slick and letting it drip from his hand to his cock. 

“Got a safe word, Sweetheart?” Steve asked Clint gently as he held him, “Just in case either of us does something you aren’t okay with or it’s too much?”

It seemed to take Clint a little bit to work his words, but finally, “Signal lights. Green is good, yellow is slow down, red is stop.”

Steve nodded, “Good, use them if you need to and we’ll listen, okay?” he pressed a kiss to Clint’s temple.

“Are you ready?” Bucky asked once he was lined up and ready, his hands resting on Clint’s thighs.

“Green, so green, please.” Clint whimpered.

Steve chuckled, “You’re so adorable for us.

As soon as Clint gave the go ahead, Bucky thrust into the omega, perhaps going a little faster than needed, but he was fully seated within Clint with only a couple of movements. He let out a groan while looking down at the omega. 

Clint moaned out, his body feeling like he was relaxing, truly relaxing for the first time in forever. Maybe he was carrying too much pent up frustration of spending his heats alone without his alpha he had been so used to sharing it with and it was only now being satisfied. But at the same time he felt a spike of excitement shoot through him as he was pressed back into Steve and he could feel Steve’s own erection pressing against his lower back.

“So pretty, you look so pretty stretched over Bucky like this, Sweetheart.” Steve whispered.

“Absolutely gorgeous.” Bucky added while running a hand down Clint's stomach and stopping at the base of the omega's cock. Slowly he started moving his hips. “You’re so pretty for your alphas.”

Clint’s breath caught and he started wiggling, lifting his arms up—only to have Steve catch his wrist and ease the one attached to his injured shoulder back down, “Keep this one down, omega. We don’t want you hurting yourself.” His voice was laced with just a hint of alpha command to make Clint listen and obey. “Good boy.” 

While Steve kept Clint’s arm down, Bucky moved his hands to hook behind the omega’s knees, lifting the legs slightly so the angle of Clint’s hips changed. The alpha still went at a steady and somewhat gentle pace, despite the noises coming from the omega that made him want to move faster.

“Good boy, so good for us.” Steve continued to praise Clint, pressing little kisses to the side of his face, down his neck, and across his shoulder on the side opposite of the claiming mark that already sat upon Clint’s skin.

“Still doing okay?” Bucky asked Clint, leaning forward a little. “We at green still?”

“Green, s-so green, Bucky.” Clint gasped out.

Steve hummed, trailing his fingertips down along the curves of Clint’s hips and back, “Ready to try more or do you want to enjoy the level we’re on currently for a bit longer?” he asked.

“Green.” Clint whimpered.

Steve nodded. “Slowly, then. Tell us if it changes to yellow or red.”

The blond alpha reached down under Clint, teasing around Clint’s stretched hole and slicking up his fingers before carefully easing one digit up inside along with Bucky’s cock. Clint moaned louder and his head fell back onto Steve’s shoulder.

“Easy, Sweetheart, just relax and let us take care of you.”

Bucky moved slower while Clint got adjusted to Steve's fingers. It was a lot to take in at once, so the brunet made sure that Clint wouldn't get uncomfortable during such an intimate moment. "If it gets to be too much, let us know." he said gently while rubbing small circles into Clint's knees.

“Gr-green.” Clint insisted, cracking open an eye and grinning as he stuck his tongue out at Bucky.

Bucky smirked and leaned forward to steal a kiss. “Good, because you’re about to be filled by two alphas.”

“Just need a little more work.” Steve insisted while working his fingers along with Bucky’s cock. “Just a little more, and then you’ll be taking both of us, omega.”

“I’m so lucky.” Clint breathed out, “Fuck, mmm…” He wrapped the arm he was free to move around Bucky, pulling him into another kiss as he felt Steve fit another finger up into him.

Bucky and Clint kept busy with kisses while Steve continued to work the omega open little by little. It came to the point where Bucky was slipping out with nearly every thrust, so he paused briefly, keeping Clint occupied with kisses and small nips on the neck until Steve decided he was ready to join in on the fun. When that point came, Steve used his hand to move his cock into position, then he kissed the side of Clint’s head softly. 

“I’m about to go in.” he said in a low tone. “Green?”

“Please, please so green, want you, alpha, sweet sweet alpha, please.” Clint gasped out, a shiver of anticipation tingling through his body and his gut twisted with excitement when he felt the head of Steve’s cock pressing lightly at where Bucky was already exploring.

“Hold onto me as we ease him in.” Bucky murmured, pulling Clint a little closer so that Steve would have a slightly better angle to slide in.

Steve let out a breath before he started to ease into Clint, finally sharing the space that Bucky was occupying. He groaned low in Clint’s ear while lowering his head, his face hiding in the omega’s shoulder. It was a slow process, neither alpha wanting to hurt their omega.

“Ohhhh sweet mother of candy…” Clint moaned out as he was stretched and filled more than he had ever been, knots not included of course. He sucked in a breath and hid his face into Bucky’s neck and shoulder as Steve slowly slipped in deeper and deeper until finally he bottomed out, leaving Clint sitting firmly upon both alphas.

He sucked in a breath, relaxing himself and waiting until he felt adjusted enough for the idea of movement. It took a little longer than he expected as before he could say anything, Steve spoke up.

“Are we yellow?”

Clint shook his head, “Yellowish-green.” he sucked in a breath and picked his head up to look over his shoulder at Steve, “Just need to adjust a bit longer.”

“Take as much time as you need, Babydoll.” Bucky soothed. “Taking two alpha cocks at the same time needs some adjusting.”

Clint gave a small chuckle and smiled at Bucky, “I like it when you call me that. My other Bucky used to call me Doll. You calling me Babydoll is similar but different and I like it. I like when Steve calls me Sweetheart, too…”

“Liking the pet names, huh?” Steve said while smiling. “Because I like calling you Sweetheart.”

“And I like calling you Babydoll.” Bucky crooned. 

“Like seeing you sitting on our cocks like this.” the blond alpha growled. “So pretty when you're stretched over the both of us.”

“Just wait until you see me taking you both moving.” Clint smiled, finally starting to feel like he was adjusted properly and could start with movements. “Which you can try now—slowly.”

Steve was the first to move, his hips moving painfully slow while the other two reacted to him moving. Bucky, who had already started getting friction from movement before, gasped and tossed his head back. Then he also started moving slowly, trying to keep the same rhythm as the other alpha.

Clint gasped, his grip tightening on Bucky’s arms. It was a lot, both too much and not enough as he became overwhelmed with the sensations of being so stretched and full as his alphas both thrust into him ever so gently.

He couldn’t help the wetness that was already stinging at his eyes.

“Easy.” Steve soothed. “We got you, sweetheart.”

“Clint, are you okay?” Bucky asked, pausing when he noticed the tears in Clint's eyes.

“I’m fine.” Clint croaked out, “I’m just happy...can’t control it...just happy…”

“You sure?” The brunet raised his hands up to Clint’s face and wiped away fallen tears. “Are we yellowish green still?”

“We’re green, I just...this is real, you’re both real, you both really want me and it just...registered on an emotional level just now that I didn’t realize I needed that reassurance.” Clint admitted.

“Of course we want you, sweetheart,” Steve said, also pausing his movements. “We both love you, and nothing will change that.”

Clint just shrugged and tightened his hold on Bucky as he was the alpha to his front and the easiest to hold onto, “Can’t help it. Just let me be happy.”

"We'll let you be happy as long as you want," Bucky said. 

"I'm sure he'd be happier if we kept moving," The other alpha suggested.

“You know me so well.” the omega smirked.

“Of course we do. We know exactly how to make you feel good.” Bucky started moving again, a little quicker than before while Steve did the same.

Clint gasped out, leaning back into Steve as he clung to Bucky as he once again became lost in the sensations. His head falling back to expose his neck.

Steve hummed as he nibbled lightly at Clint’s ear, “Want us to bite, Sweetheart?”

“Green…” Clint gasped out quietly.

Steve nodded, “You’re going to have to get a bit bendy for a second so we can be in a comfortable position for you to reach both of us.”

Clint nodded and Steve helped Clint lift a leg up over Bucky’s head to twist him around sideways between them.

“This good?” 

Clint nodded.

The new position sent a shiver down Bucky’s back, a groan escaping his lips while he leaned forward. Clint’s scent was stronger the closer he got to the omega’s neck, and he badly wanted to leave his own mark , but he would wait until Clint was ready for that. 

“Please!” Clint moaned.

“You first, Buck.” Steve said, “ Hold it and Clint will bite me, then when he releases, I’ll bite him and you release so he can bite you. They say that’s the most efficient way to do this.”

Clint tilted his head so that Bucky had the best access to his neck, the other Bucky’s mark already on display on that side.

The brunet was quick to latch his teeth onto Clint’s neck overlapping, but not lining up with the existing mark, and biting down hard until the skin broke and he tasted blood. A loud and long groan came from his throat, his eyes squeezing shut while he thrusted deep into the omega.

Clint’s breath hitched and his body relaxed in response, but he was still in enough of the right mind to turn his head over towards Steve, nosing at the alpha’s neck until he found the bonding gland and bit down on it, just as Bucky had done to him. He held it for a moment, just enjoying the moment before he let go and gave the bite mark a little lick and tilting his head to the other side so that it was resting on Bucky’s and giving Steve the space he needed to mark up the other side of his neck where his skin was smooth and unmarked.

Steve leaned in close and nipped at the unmarked skin of the omega. His mark had to be perfect, right over the scent gland that made Clint smell so pretty. Once Steve found that spot, his eyes widened and he bit down, a small growl coming from his throat.

With it being Steve’s turn to bite, Bucky let go of Clint’s neck, shoving his nose into the omega’s jaw while sighing, waiting in anticipation for Clint to return his marking.

Clint was feeling like a rag doll held up between his two alphas, but he had one last thing to do to make their three-way mating take properly. He turned towards Bucky and when the brunet lifted his head and bared his own neck, Clint found his bonding gland quickly, as he was used to where Bucky’s was, and bit down.

All three felt the bond take; a tingling running through each of them and Steve and Clint both released their bites, giving the marks a little touch of affection before straightening back up.

“And now you’re both stuck with me.” Clint teased with a grin. It was the first thing he’d said to Bucky when they had bonded as well.

“Best feeling in the world,” Bucky sighed, feeling oddly relaxed despite the omega still being filled with both his and Steve’s cocks. 

“I have to agree,” Steve said. “Feels good to finally be bonded to you, Clint…”

“I love you both.” Clint hummed, kissing Steve, then Bucky, only to yelp out in surprise when both alphas began thrusting into him again.

Bucky was a bit more aggressive than Steve was in his movements, though most of the growling was coming from Steve. Both alphas are clearly in their second wind after being marked by their omega, and they didn't care much about matching paces, they simply wanted Clint to feel good while taking both of his alphas.

Clint gasped and moaned, holding onto both his alphas as he took them into his body over and over, everything building up within him until he felt ready to burst. Tears were leaking out the corners of his eyes as his head dropped back, “Close! Close!” he gasped out.

Bucky grunted in acknowledgment, a familiar sound Clint was used to from the other Bucky, and he took it to mean that Bucky was also very close.

Steve grabbed Clint’s leg again and helped him lift it up over Bucky’s head so that Clint was once again facing and clinging to the brunet before he tipped them all back so that Bucky was laying down and Steve was on top, using the added leverage to thrust deeper and faster, bringing them all quickly towards climax.

“ _ Ah—ah _ !” Clint hid his face in Bucky’s shoulder, his sounds muffled against smooth skin as it all became too much and—!

Clint came, clenching down on both his alphas as he cried out. Bucky was groaning as he followed soon after, pumping Clint full of his seed, and then, as the two lay panting together, oversensitive to the last few thrusts Steve was giving, the blond alpha finally followed, stiffly pumping into Clint as he, too, filled Clint with his pleasure.

Neither alpha knotted him. Alphas only knotted when in rut, and as they were now both mated to an omega, their ruts would quickly line up with Clint’s heat. It was for the best, anyway. They hadn’t grabbed condoms, and omegas only got pregnant during heats they were knotted.

Steve stayed stiff as he rode out his orgasm before relaxing and lowering himself while rolling them all onto their sides, careful not to slip out of Clint just yet. He kissed the back of Clint’s shoulder, “You’re so good for us, taking us like that.” he whispered.

Clint felt a bit bloated from the sheer amount of cum and slick he had trapped inside him from all three of their orgasms. His stomach curving out slightly and pressing against Bucky’s. “I’m so full…” he moaned happily, tears still rolling lazilly down his face.

“You’re amazing, baby doll,” Bucky praised. “Gorgeous filled up like you are.”

“Perfect.” Steve agreed, gently placing his hand on Clint’s belly, “You going to sleep with us tonight, Sweetheart?”

“Monster aliens couldn’t drag me away.” Clint muttered.

“Let’s hope no monster aliens come to this timeline soon, then.” The blond alpha smiled and pressed a kiss to the back of Clint’s head.

“I sure hope not,” Bucky responded. “I’d like to just lay here and not worry about aliens interrupting some good bonding time.”

“Only some good aftercare is allowed.” Steve hummed, “Bucky, you want to go get stuff for that, or should I? We all should get some water to drink and we need to get Clint cleaned up.”

“I’ll go get the stuff. Give you two some more time together.” Bucky gave Clint a quick kiss before pulling out and away from the bed.

“I’ll keep him happy and soft for us.” Steve promised, pulling Clint closer to himself when Clint whimpered at the loss of one of his alphas. “Easy, Sweetheart, Bucky will be back soon.” he promised. “Our planning for this wasn’t the best, so he has to go get a few things.”

“Could have waited to go…” Clint pouted. He was willing to admit he was feeling incredibly clingy. It was natural for an omega with a fresh bond, let alone two.

“Trust me, you’ll appreciate it when he comes back.” Steve soothed.

Bucky was gone for only a few minutes, grabbing towels and wet clothes to clean up with, and also grabbing glasses of water for them to drink. When he returned he was eager to get back to being close to Clint, as one would when having a freshly made bond.

“I’ve got water for everyone,” he said once he was close to the bed. “And stuff to clean up with.”

“Thanks, Buck.” Steve said, sliding out of Clint, who whimpered again, and sitting up to take one of the damp cloths to work on cleaning Clint up. Together, they spread a towel out under Clint to catch anything that leaked out as they helped him sit up and Bucky handed the omega one of the glasses of water.

The water was soothing to Clint’s throat, he hadn’t even realized how dry and uncomfortable it was until he was sipping his water.

“See? It’s a good thing Bucky left to go get these things.” Steve teased.

Clint flushed, “Still want you both for cuddles.”

“No one said we weren’t planning on cuddling you close until morning, silly omega.” Bucky chuckled, kissing Clint’s temple.

Once they were all hydrated and cleaned up, Steve pulled a blanket over them and they curled up close to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Natasha groaned as she pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She felt off, like she’d taken a hit from a magic user of sorts, and it took her a moment to remember she had chosen to go on a one-way trip to an alternate timeline so she wouldn’t have to live on without her best friend and only person she considered to be family around making her life difficult but also entertaining. She was dressed in a simple button-down shirt and a pair of slacks that were slightly too short in length, sitting in a bed that smelled like Clint, and found a dog grinning at her as he lay next to her.

“Of course Clint would get a dog.” She chuckled, petting the dog and checking his tags. Lucky. His name was Lucky. She would have guessed Clint would have named his dog Pizza or Arrow or something ridiculous. Lucky was a surprisingly normal name for a dog.

She got up and stretched before moving around the room, finding a comb and working on her hair before venturing out into the rest of the apartment, Lucky following at her heels.

“Nat!” As soon as Natasha came into view of the main area of the apartment, she found Clint launching himself at her, hugging her tight and lifting her a little off the ground.

“Do you want to get stabbed? Because this is how you usually get stabbed.” She teased, hugging him back.

“You aren’t armed for once, I figured I’d be safe getting the jump on you.” he laughed before setting her down and shoving his face into her shoulder, “What the hell are you thinking coming here? You realize there’s no way for us to go back, right?”

“Of course I do. I didn’t want to lose you, you know.” She pulled him back to study him, her eyes moving over his face, flickering to his aids, and then down to the bandages on either side of his neck. She raised a brow at it.

Clint blushed and shrugged, “Steve and new Bucky. Made it official last night. They went out for a morning run, but I stayed in case you woke up… Coffee?” 

“Please.” she waited for him to pour her a mug and hand it to her before she spoke again, “Are you happy?”

“Very” Clint grinned, “I still miss first Bucky, of course, but he’d be happy to know I’m happy again.”

Nat smiled and nodded, sipping her coffee and getting comfortable on the couch to catch up with Clint.

* * *

-End-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I plan to write a fic of beta Steve's side of this story, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested! It's supposed to be a one shot but then again, THIS fic was originally supposed to be a one shot as well, and we can all see how that turned out. LOL


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